Hotel-to-homes conversion just part of Hope Partnership’s affordable housing vision
Where U.S. Highway 192 and Armstrong Avenue meet in Kissimmee, you’ll find a story that resembles a long and winding road.
And while Thrive Studios took some time to arrive, it’s not the end of the road for the Hope Partnership.
Thrive is 33 units of affordable housing built by the Hope Partnership, which works tirelessly to end homelessness and poverty in Osceola County, and ensures everyone has a safe place to call home. It was a hotel renovation of the former Crown Hotel on 192—and a learning curve for people like Hope CEO Rev. Mary Downey and COO Will Cooper.
Fast forward to Friday, when city of Kissimmee, Osceola County, state and even federal leaders joined with Downey, Cooper and the Hope Partnership to officially and ceremonially cut the ribbon on Thrive Studios.
“Today we don’t just cut a ribbon, we affirm a shared commitment to compassion, to action, and to building a community where everyone has a chance to thrive,” said Downey, providing a little insight into the name.
Cooper harkened back to when he started with Hope Partnership.
“I can vividly remember sitting at the end of an old conference table across from Mary,” he said. “I asked what this organization would do if they magically got a large donation tomorrow. She said, without hesitation, she wanted to build housing … the people coming for food told us they needed more than just food to thrive.
“Tonight at Thrive Studios, people will cook their own meal in their own kitchen, shower in their own bathroom, and sleep in their own bed. So here we are, years in the making.”
Said Downey: “We don’t want the people who live here to survive; we want them to Thrive. Renovation is another word for an act of redemption.”
Kissimmee Commission Janette Martinez spoke of what it means to finally be able to afford your own place.
“I’m proud to see these residents in their own homes, with their dignity restored,” she said.
The funding to buy and renovate the former hotel—and then go through the seemingly ended process of permitted and review with city and county building inspections—came from county, state and federal funding sources secured by elected officials like County Commission Cheryl Grieb, state lawmakers Sen. Kristen Arrington, who called Thrive “A model for every level,” Rep. Jose Alvarez and Congressional Rep. Darren Soto.
“Over time, it became clear that the part of the work of building affordable housing belonged to a partnership, and believing that we can eventually get to building that housing.” Downey said.
The design of Thrive Studios comes with a logo designed by the digital design program at Tohopekaliga High School and junior Alyson Melo, placed prominently on the studios’ sign for the thousands of drivers on U.S. 192 to see, and a colorful mural part of Osceola Arts’ ARTisNOW program by local artist Sabrina Dessalines. Over time, it became clear that the part of the work of building affordable housing, it belonged to a partnership too.
The 33 units are a mere drop in the bucket compared to the need in Osceola County. Some residents, who worked with Hope Partnership in its housing program, have already moved in, and the few remaining units are already spoken for. A traditional affordable housing complex, Salix on Vine, recently opened to the west, and Buen Vecino, a senior-living complex being built by the Osceola Council on Aging in Buenaventura Lakes could open this summer.
“It can feel at times a little demoralizing like, oh, it’s not going to be enough,” Downey said.
“But to the one of these 33 who will be here, we got the opportunity to serve them, to love our neighbors as ourselves. And that’s where to keep doing. So it’s a drop in the bucket, it’s an opportunity for us to live. And as an organization, we have a pretty robust strategic plan about what we believe is next.”
So, those working to expand affordable housing know what the road ahead looks like. It’s now a matter of moving forward.
“We have known for a while that there is an affordability crisis in our community when it comes to housing, and that people get all walks of life, are struggling with housing,” Cooper said. “At every turn, I see who has been willing to listen to the community, to the people that we work with, and to ask what’s missing and what’s next.”
