Affordable Housing

ORLANDO, FLA. — Universal Destinations & Experiences and Wendover Housing Partners have begun construction on Catchlight Crossings, a 20-acre residential district in Orlando. The land was donated by Universal’s not-for-profit Housing for Tomorrow. Situated near the Orange County Convention Center along International Drive, the project will ultimately feature 1,000 affordable housing apartments, onsite amenities and services, 16,000 square feet of retail space, play areas and a transportation center. Some features will include Bezos Academy, a tuition-free preschool, as well as educational opportunities via the nearby University of Central Florida. Amenities will include resort-style pools, a fitness center, game room, cafes, bike and walking paths, a community garden and four acres of open green space.   Chase is the primary construction lender for Catchlight Crossings, which will remain an affordable community in perpetuity. The majority of the units – 75 percent — will be designated as affordable and reserved for households with incomes at or below 60 percent of the area’s median income (AMI). Universal Destinations & Experiences and Wendover Housing expect to open the first phase of Catchlight Crossings in 2026.

MIAMI — Related Urban, the affordable housing and mixed-income division of Related Group, has opened Robert King High and Paseo Del Rio, two newly completed affordable housing communities in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood. The 315-unit Robert King High project is the substantial rehab of an elderly public housing high-rise built in 1964. The property is reserved for low-income seniors housing citizens and comprises residential towers, a one-story clubhouse that was also overhauled and a 1,500-square-foot convenience store. Paseo del Rio is a 182-unit, seven-story residential tower reserved for households earning 30, 60 and 80 percent of the area median income (AMI). Amenities will include a multipurpose room, fitness center, business center, dog park, bike storage, outdoor grill areas, resident courtyard and a 3,000-square-foot Pinecrest Bakery shop, which is set to open in early 2024. Robert King High and Paseo del Rio are now fully leased and occupied. The properties represent the fourth and fifth phases of the River Parc master plan, which will ultimately comprise 2,500 affordable housing, workforce housing and market-rate apartments. Full completion of the master plan’s 10 phases is slated for 2027.

MIAMI — Related Urban Development Group (RUDG), the affordable housing arm of Related Group, has broken ground on Phase 4 of the 60-acre Liberty Square redevelopment in Miami. Dubbed Serenity Liberty Square, the fourth phase will comprise 193 residential units across three buildings for families and individuals earning 30 to 80 percent of the area median income (AMI). Upon completion, which is scheduled for March 2025, the property will also feature the Jessie Trice Healthcare Center, as well as the new headquarters of the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce. Funding for Liberty Square Phase Four includes tax-exempt bonds, low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) equity and funds from the Florida Housing State Apartment Incentive Loan Program (SAIL) and Miami-Dade County Surtax. The Liberty Square redevelopment will total nine phases and comprise roughly 1,900 new residential units, renovations to the Liberty Square Community Center, a new educational center, green spaces and a grocery store.