Seminole County is cutting a seven-figure check to help finish Riverbend Landings, a 146-unit affordable apartment complex in Sanford that county officials say is aimed squarely at the area’s “missing middle.” The project, in the Midway neighborhood along State Road 46 near Orlando Sanford International Airport, is designed so that income-based units are reserved for working households who have been priced out of nearby neighborhoods. Under the project’s agreement, rents are pegged so households pay roughly 30 percent of their gross monthly income. Construction is underway, and county staff expect the first residents to move in before the end of the year.
County Funding and the Vote
Earlier this year, commissioners voted to put $1.05 million into the deal, according to Spectrum News 13. County officials say the local money is meant to help pull in state and federal tax credits and other housing funds so the project can actually cross the finish line instead of stalling out on the drawing board.
Project Details and Location
County records show the development has been restructured to include 146 units and that the site sits on Highway 46 at Beardall Avenue in the south Midway neighborhood. The same documents note a $1 million FY2023–2024 SHIP award plus a $50,000 HOME local jurisdiction contribution to satisfy Florida Housing’s SAIL requirements for the deal, per Seminole County meeting minutes. County staff says that the blend of local and state support is a big reason the project is moving.
Residents Describe the Squeeze
Residents and county staff have been blunt about how far a paycheck has to stretch these days. WFTV reports an average Seminole County household now needs more than $86,000 a year just to cover the basics, while two-bedroom rents in Sanford are hovering near $1,800 a month. Families told the station they are paying the landlord first and figuring everything else out later. Community Services Projects Administrator Bonnye Deese put it this way: “To have these units that are going to be priced at a point where it would fit within that family's income level is key.” The station also notes the developer will cap rents at roughly 30 percent of a household’s gross income and that construction at Riverbend Landings is already more than halfway complete.
What Comes Next
County advisers say Riverbend Landings is meant to be more than a one-off project. They are pitching it as a template for future public–private affordable housing partnerships and a roadmap for using the county’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund and incentive programs. The Affordable Housing Advisory Committee minutes show staff is already deploying trust-fund dollars to subsidize fees, seek impact-fee offsets, and fast-track permitting to get similar projects to market more quickly, according to Seminole County meeting minutes. Commissioners and staff say they plan to keep a close eye on lease-up and affordability outcomes as Riverbend Landings wraps up construction.
