By Chalisa Budhai
For the News-Gazette
Pathway to Housing is a local program – a partnership among entities with the same aims -- dedicated to providing accessible and affordable housing to those who demonstrate a need within the face of adversity.
Osceola County Commission Peggy Choudhry and leaders from the Salvation Army in Orange and Osceola County announced the program – and funding from the county government and business partners of over a million dollars – at a gathering Monday morning.
With Choudhry’s daughter Athena Choudhry as the master of ceremonies, the leaders of each organization came forward to speak on each aspect of the project and its working mechanisms.
Here’s how it works: qualifying families will be from the ALICE community – Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. They will receive payments equal to one year’s worth of rent, enabling those families to save for a down payment.
The program was created in partnership with a handful of area organizations – Osceola County, the Salvation Army, Housing 4 All, La Rosa Realty and Walmart. Choudhry presented at $1 million check from the county, made up of funds already earmarked for housing assistance that is now specifically dedicated -- $500,000 in case management and homeless prevention and recovery funds, $300,000 in rental assistance, $105,000 in community assistance and $95,000 in multilingual community outreach funds. All were part of the county’s Fiscal 2022 budget.
In addition, Walmart made a corporate contribution of $50,000. This initiative bolsters self-sufficiency and ensures citizens have access to living essentials, paving the way for future institutional change. As the commissioner said, “The light at the end of the tunnel, is home ownership.”
“A higher service leading to a permanent path of self-sufficiency. Imagine, one year from when you walk through those Salvation Army doors, you are able to have a down payment to become a first-time homeowner. Instead of duplicating services, we’re uniting to provide services.”
Captain Ken Chapman, the Area Commander for the Salvation Army in Osceola and Orange County, said he pledged to start with eight to ten families already vetted, ensuring that they receive financial counseling to ensure long-term stability.
“It’s the best day ever in Osceola County,” he said. “Housing as a problem in Central Florida is getting worse. Families cannot afford housing. When non-profits, for-profits and donors get together to help the community, we have a healthy community.”
Applicants are offered remedies to their situations, wraparound services from career development to financial literacy courses through case managers. Each applicant, whether child or adult will be informed about crucial skills of finance – children educated by the La Rosa Foundation and adults by Housing for All. Together, these organizations break the generational cycle, the bond of poverty, by offering inclusive and free education to these families.
“We believe in a hand-up over a hand-out, because when you offer a hand-out, you keep people down,” Chapman said. “We’re here to break multi-generational cycles, and make the world a better place, with residents living in their own homes.”
Wendall Philips, representative of Housing for All, emphasized creating a legacy through effective collaboration of these companies. Captain Chapman expounded upon this idea, saying that specialization of education of financial support are capable with the synergy of each party. Applicants are given a sense of accomplishment and confidence as they progress through each level, developing a second family of support with the Salvation Army.
“We are helping our residents of Osceola County, who work in Osceola County, buy homes in Osceola County,” Choudhry said, noting the program allows for continuing to centralize outreach and corporate support to uplift residents suffering against the current state of the housing market, increasing interest rates and inflation.
