New ‘Haven on Vine’ units should be ready by Christmas
Kissimmee Deputy City Manager Desiree Matthews, who oversees affordable housing efforts, talks with a reporter about the changes that will be made to old hotel rooms at Haven on Vine. (Photo/Christine Pike)
Bells are synonymous with Christmas, not a gathering in September. But the city of Kissimmee used them Thursday to “ring in” a new opportunity for those who need and require affordable housing.
Plus, throwing ceremonial dirt can be messy.
All kidding aside, the city rang in the start of renovations on a new phase of The Haven on Vine, a former Super 8 Hotel that the city is converting from the outlived purpose of the space to safe, modern housing.
Over the next four months, the old hotel rooms on west Vine Street at Hollywood Avenue near Thacker Avenue will become 40 code-compliant efficiency studio apartments, and another part of the project will turn old storage units into a new administrative and resident-services hub that will provide resident wrap-around services.
Thanks to funding from state and local government entities, the city will be making upgrades to plumbing, electrical, and fire suppression systems and improving the facility’s exterior and tenant amenities.
“By adding on-site services, we are saying to our neighbors that we hear you, and will walk with you to a brighter tomorrow,” Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa said. “Kissimmee’s story has always been about resiliency and growth, and today we’re adding a new chapter.”
“A lot of people ask me if we have a (homeless) shelter. And I say, over and over again, we have something better.”
This phase is being funded by federal, state and county grants, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Funds from the city.
A block of two-bedroom apartments in another portion of the complex has already been renovated and are occupied.
“We wanted to be able to serve our citizens as quickly as possible so we opened those up,” said Deputy City Manager Desiree Matthews, who oversees the city’s affordable housing operations. “This property presented a ton of potential for addressing this issue.”
The city hopes to have this second phase of Haven on Vine ready to open in early December.
“We’d like to be able to let those tenants or families be home for the holidays,” Matthews said.
At full buildout of the former hotel, The Haven on Vine will offer 123 rent-controlled studio and two-bedroom units, with 83 designated for affordable housing and 40 reserved for bridge housing and emergencies such as a cold-night shelter, filling a desperate need across the city.
“This project turns an underused property into dignified homes and onsite services that help families stabilize and succeed,” Matthews said.
Families interested in residency at The Haven on Vine should contact the City of Kissimmee by email at myhaven.info@kissimmee.gov or call The Haven Office at 407-518-2553. To learn more about this project, visit kissimmee.gov/HavenOnVine.
Applicants must have resided in Osceola County for one year. The facility gives priority to those already experiencing homelessness, victims of domestic violence, families with children and displaced or homeless seniors and veterans. Tenants must meet specific eligibility criteria, including a one-year residency requirement in Osceola County and income thresholds based on U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) guidelines.
City Manager Mike Steigerwald called Haven on Vine just one investment in a broad $150 million city campaign to make the city one of Central Florida’s most livable city and deliver “a commitment to progress.”
