Sanford Housing Authority celebrates opening of new affordable housing complex

SANFORD, Fla. — Sanford is just the latest city in Central Florida coping with a growing affordable housing issue.

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However, a new project is offering hope for Sanford residents who have been waiting years for help.

Sanford resident Toni Myles is one who knows firsthand how much of a struggle it’s become to find a decent place to live at a reasonable price.

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“It took me 10 years to get here,” Myles said of her journey to an affordable place to live.

Myles lives in affordable housing at the moment, but says she’s currently on the waiting list for a home at Monroe Landings across the street.

The new affordable housing project opened Tuesday in the Goldsboro neighborhood. It’s expected to provide much needed relief for some residents.

“It’s very hard to try to get here,” Myles said. “Affordable housing...it is very difficult and it is very hard, because you’ve got to go through so much.”

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With 144 units and amenities like a pool and playgrounds, Monroe Landings aims to provide stable housing for low-income families and individuals.

“It’s old public housing that was destroyed in 2013,” COO of Wendover Housing Partners Ryan Von Weller said. “So we worked with the housing authority and the local community to rebuild these apartments.”

While Monroe Landings is viewed as a positive step, there’s still a significant need for more affordable housing options in Sanford. There have been some recent efforts to address the issue.

“We don’t have enough affordable housing anywhere in Central Florida,” Weller said. “But particularly in this community, when they lost all the housing stock, they lost a majority of the population.”

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Myles says the community is making a comeback, but she wants more affordable housing in the city.

A two-bedroom in Sanford will be anywhere from $1,000 to $1,200 a month for residents who meet the 60-percent median income threshold.

There are some residents who will be paying less than that, depending on their income.

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