Hope Partnership recently announced its plans for transformation of a Kissimmee motel into 33 units of affordable rental housing for low-income residents. The former Crown Motel will be converted into Thrive Studios, providing studio-style housing units that address the lack of affordable housing in Central Florida.
Many families who move to Central Florida end up in hotels and motels, working full-time jobs, and unable to find affordable housing. Renters need to make $27.35 an hour to afford a modest one-bedroom rental. Our hospitality economy relies on minimum wage jobs, yet someone earning minimum wage cannot afford housing.
The staff at Hope Partnership, under the leadership of founder Rev. Mary Lee Downey, has been thinking creatively and working hard to identify another way to address this issue. Thrive Studios, centrally located on Highway 192 in Kissimmee, will offer rental homes through an innovative trauma responsive property management program. Florida Community Loan Fund provided $1 million in financing for the project, which will include an on-site service center. Learn more about FCLF & Hope Partnership here.
Joining Downey in the groundbreaking announcement were Congressman Darren Soto, Representative Kristen Arrington, Osceola County Commissioner Cheryl Grieb, and Florida Senator Victor Torres. Their collective commitment to addressing the housing crisis underscored the significance of this initiative.
Learn more about Hope Partnership and the Thrive Studios groundbreaking and press announcement in these articles:
- Positively Osceola, October 9, 2023: “Hope Partnership announces Thrive Studios: an affordable housing beacon of hope for Osceola County” https://www.positivelyosceola.com/hope-partnership-announces-thrive-studios-an-affordable-housing-beacon-of-hope-for-osceola-county/
- WESH-2, October 5, 2023: “Kissimmee motel to be converted to affordable housing building.” https://www.wesh.com/article/kissimmee-motel-affordable-housing/45453787
Pictured above: Rev. Mary Lee Downey with Commissioner Cheryl Grieb, Rep. Kristen Arrington, Senator Victor Torres, and Congressman Darren Soto
Pictured below: Rev. Downey with FCLF CEO Ignacio Esteban • Stan Fitterman of SFF Consulting and Anna Upchurch Pernell, FCLF Community Development Loan Officer
