A Place to Call Home: Affordable Housing Trust Fund Opens 542 New Apartment Homes

When Sharon Donawa retired from a theme park job she’d held for nearly four decades, she looked forward to some well-deserved relaxation.

Instead, she faced a stressful housing situation that’s common for many across Central Florida.

Unable to find an affordable place to live, she spent nearly a year post-retirement staying with her sister.

Then she learned about Barnett Villas, one of four new affordable apartment communities supported by Orange County’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund to open this year.

Donawa applied and was approved the next day.

"Everyone deserves a safe, stable place to call home," said Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings. "Our Affordable Housing Trust Fund is helping seniors, working families, and essential employees find quality, affordable housing and build a stronger future."

A common challenge

Rising housing costs are making it increasingly difficult for retired seniors like Donawa, and working individuals and families — teachers, first responders, healthcare professionals, hospitality employees and others — to find housing they can afford.

In the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford metropolitan area, approximately 61% of renters and 40% of all households are considered cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of their income on housing and utilities. Many households spend more than half of their income on housing alone.

Recognizing this growing need, the Board of County Commissioners established the Affordable Housing Trust Fund in 2020 with a $160 million investment over its first decade. In 2024, Orange County voters approved a charter amendment making the fund permanent.

This year, four affordable apartment communities supported by the Trust Fund have opened since April 2026, creating 542 new apartment homes.

The new communities include:

• • Whispering Oaks (192 units) in Pine Hills
  • Barnett Villas (156 units) in Pine Hills
  • Residences at Emerald Villas (90 units) in Pine Hills
  • Enclave at Canopy Park (104 units) in Holden Heights

"For years, we've worked to increase the supply of affordable housing. Now we're seeing that vision become reality in significant numbers thanks to our Housing Trust Fund,' said Mitchell Glasser, Manager of Orange County's Housing & Community Development Division. "It's rewarding watching residents move into these communities."

At the ribbon-cutting event for Residences at Emerald Villas, U.S. Congressman Maxwell Frost said that investing in quality affordable housing is more important now than ever before.

"This means that more families will be able to stay in the community they know and love," Frost said. "It means more people will have the stability and security that comes with having an affordable place to call home."

Creating Thriving Communities

Still, Frost said the need for affordable housing continues to grow.

"We need more projects like these," Frost said. "That way every family has an accessible, safe and affordable place to live. The future of Central Florida depends on whether teachers, nurses, service workers, first responders, veterans and seniors, can continue to live in the place they know and love."

The developments are designed to provide more than an affordable monthly rent. Residents enjoy many of the same amenities found in market-rate communities, including fitness centers, walking trails, technology labs, energy-efficient appliances, public art, and community gathering spaces.

Today, Donawa is finally enjoying the retirement she envisioned. From her apartment at Barnett Villas, a short walk from Barnett Park, she no longer worries about finding a home she can afford.

"I love it here," she said, adding that she's formed lasting friendships with neighbors. "I now have my own place. Who doesn't want to have their own place?"

To learn about our Housing for All initiative, visit www.ocfl.net/housingforall.