Hawthorne Park celebrated the grand opening of its new, senior affordable community in Orlando this week.
On Wednesday, officials gathered at the new development, which is located at 5386 Silver Star Road in the Pine Hills community. The development replaces a portion of an underused shopping center with 120 units designed for residents who are ages 55 and over.
The $27.6 million development features one-bedroom, one-bath and two-bedroom, two-bath units, with rents starting at approximately $876 per month for one-bedroom units and $1,045 per month for two-bedroom units.
The apartments feature open floor plans with a full-size washer and dryer, a kitchen island, emergency call systems and walk-in closets. Community amenities include a fitness center, theater room, activity room with kitchen, computer room and library, dog walk, community garden, gazebo with seating and outdoor grilling area. Residents will also have access to an on-site salon and food trucks, as well as health seminars and events.
According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s (NLIHC’s) 2022 GAP report, the Orlando metro area only has 18 affordable and available homes per 100 extremely low-income renters. A recent county study found that rents across Orange County rose roughly 25% last year, which they believe is a problem that stems from years of inadequate housing production.
On Thursday, county officials gathered in an emergency meeting to discuss the current housing crisis. Check back on Orlando-News.com later for details on that meeting.