-
Elected officials, such as state Sen. Victor Torres, Rep. Kristen Arrington, U.S. Rep. Darren Soto Osceola County Commissioner Cheryl Grieb were on hand Thursday to present Hope Partnership CEO Rev. Mary Downey with funding to purchase and build affordable housing. PHOTO/HOPE PARTNERSHIP
The Hope Partnership is one step closer to meeting its goal of providing housing for homeless and impoverished members of the community after receiving $500,000 in funding from the Florida Legislature.
More will come from Osceola County, and still more may be coming from the federal level.
In a press conference held Thursday, State Rep. Kristin Arrington presented Mary Downey, President/CEO of Hope Partnership with the funds, which will be used to secure property for a future motel conversion project.
“We’re working together here, your elected officials at the local, state, and federal level, along with community partners to work together to address the issue of … attainable housing for those folks who are suffering homelessness or on the brink of homelessness,” Arrington said.
Also present at the press conference were State Senator Victor Torres, who worked with Arrington to secure the funding, Congressman Darren Soto and County Commissioner Cheryl Grieb.
“We need to work together. We need to strive to build more,” Torres echoed. “That money that you see there, that $500,000 – it should have some more zeroes after that because we need to have the money and there is money to be had in Tallahassee to spend on affordable housing.”
Soto commended the hard work of Torres and Arrington in securing this funding, emphasizing the benefits it will have to the area.
“I know how hard it is to get things done in Tallahassee and … [it is] a job well done,” he said. “This combined with the $1 million we were able to get through the community budget funding request through the Congress this past year, we’re leveraging it to finally help resolve a major issue here in the county. This is a great day for our county and a great day for our state.”
In addition to the state and federal funding, Grieb also announced that the county will be contributing an additional $400,000 to the project.
“This particular commission is laser-focused on affordable housing,” Grieb said. “Since 2016, we’ve built or improved over 1200 units. I believe in what Hope Partnership does and I believe in collaboration.”
Downey said they hoped to have news soon about the property being selected for the motel conversion project, but said she is thankful for the partnerships making this project possible.
“I cannot tell you how grateful I am for the people who are standing around me right now and the joy that it brings me to know everyone standing here wants to make sure everyone in our community has a safe place to call home,” she said.
The appropriation money was foreshadowed back on June 2, when Downey welcomed the community to the ribbon-cutting of Hope Commons, its co-working space with other entities that partner with the Hope Partnership in its housing-seeking mission.
