Kissimmee city leaders have given the green light to an action plan aimed at addressing homelessness and housing insecurity in their community. The annual action plan will serve as a guiding light for city leaders on how they can provide services to meet the critical needs in their community.

Plan Details

Frances De Jesus, the Housing & Community Development Manager, outlined the proposed home activities, which include a tenant-based rental assistance program, rehabilitation, rental housing development, home buyer assistance, and administration.

Kissimmee anticipates receiving Community Development Block Grant funds and HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds totaling nearly $1 million. The funds will be used to renovate the Haven on Vine, an initiative the city undertook years ago to provide affordable housing. Once complete, Haven on Vine will have 83 units dedicated to affordable housing and 40 units allocated for emergency and bridge housing, or temporary accommodations and support services.

Deputy City Manager Desiree Matthews emphasized the importance of housing stabilization, saying, “Housing is a critical need, so a big part of our plan is really focusing on housing stabilization.” The plan will also include homeowner-occupied rehabilitation, which will help homeowners in need of repairs to stay in their homes.

The action plan will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for review and approval before August 16 of this year. Kissimmee has opened the process to receive applications for funding on its website.

Original reporting: WESH Orlando — read the source article.