JPH & Associates is pleased to announce that over $1.6 million in funding from Lee County is being allocated to six Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida housing projects serving special needs residents.  Funding will be used to replace roof/gutters on all six projects which received damage from the catastrophic Hurricane Ian which hit in 2022.

Existing metal roof will be replaced with an energy efficient metal roofs. Installed underneath the metal roof will be an energy efficient high temperature resistant Metal Tile Underlayment (MTU plus).  This underlayment reflects heat and reduces heat in the attic and keeps the unit’s cooler.  To extend the roof life and better protect the roof to future hurricanes, the following will be done; 1) Stainless steel fasteners will be used to prevent rust and a loss of fastening integrity; 2) Fasteners will be installed every 12” for the first four feet and then 16” in the field to improve the fastening capabilities of the roof system; 3) 24 gauge metal, which is 30 percent heavier than 26 gauge, will be used to add to the structural integrity of the roof system; and 4) Metal will be sealed using a durable kynar paint which will help prevent premature degradation from sun and salt.  By following these four installation guidelines, the expected life of these new roofs will be 50 years and will be more resist to hurricane damage in the future, while at the same time as lowering energy costs.

JPH and Associates has been providing on-going consulting services to the Salvation Army in downtown Orlando.  Consulting services have included evaluating the Army’s master site plan of the Orlando campus with specific recommendations regarding a reconfiguration of existing parking/land use, development of vacant parcels, and the potential sale of one or both HUD 202 projects.  The Army is now waiting on approval from Territorial Headquarters prior to moving forward.

JPH & Associates, along with two other consulting firms, have been working with the Osceola Council on Aging to secure funding to construct 60 units of affordable apartments for seniors.  The project will consist of a series of one-story multi-unit buildings on a 6.58-acre site that was formerly a golf course within the community of Buena Vista Lakes in Osceola County.  The total project cost is projected to be $20 million. In an effort to finance the project, the Council and consultant team have been working to secure funding commitments. The team has secured grand funding totaling over $12 million, which consists of Section 202 grant funding from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development of $5.7 million and over $6 million in funding from local governments.  The team is now seeking to secure $8 million in tax credits from Florida Housing Finance Corporation. In addition, project rents will remain affordable due to securing $335,000 in annual project based rental subsidies from HUD. Construction is anticipated to commence in the fourth quarter of 2023.

During the past five years (from 2018 through 2023) JPH & Associates has procured over $1 million in funding from Lee County make needed renovations on four affordable housing facilities, consisting of 55 units which serve special need residents.  All projects are owned and operated by Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida. Projects receiving funding included Ohio Place, Broadway Place, the Pines, and Country Cove.  Renovations have included kitchen cabinets, stoves, refrigerators, water heaters, and AC units.  Funding and subsequent renovations have allowed for these projects to retain a healthy reserve for replacement fund – this fund will be used for future upkeep and maintenance.  Such a fund is imperative to insure the long-term financial health of each and every project.

Since its beginning in 1993, the Nonprofit Housing Roundtable of Central Florida, a membership organization, has been “committed to strengthening inclusive affordable communities through the production and preservation of quality housing.”  

The Roundtable has sought to work closely with a core group of other volunteer leaders, the roundtable was created to “connect practitioners, establish partnerships and develop a positive learning environment,” through which its members would be encouraged to pursue solutions to the many challenges related to affordable housing. 

With similar purposes, Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando & Osceola County, under the leadership of its president and CEO, Catherine Steck McManus, has been on a path parallel to the programs of the Nonprofit Housing Roundtable of Central Florida. Since its founding in 1986, driven by a vision that “everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to live,” Orlando and Osceola County have been committed to helping local, regional, state and national governments, as well as civic and business leaders find ways to build more affordable housing. The organization is confident of the many benefits associated with stable housing, knowing it will improve both lives and communities for generations to come.

To amplify their shared work, in 2022 representatives of the Nonprofit Housing Roundtable of Central Florida and Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando and Osceola County explored ways to keep the mission of the Roundtable alive and continue to serve Roundtable’s supporters – both past and present. As a result, the bylaws of the Roundtable were amended, such that the Roundtable is to be controlled and governed by a self-perpetuating board of directors.  Electing the members of the Executive Committee of Habitat for Humanity to serve as the newly elected Board of Directors of the Roundtable is Catherine Steck McManus, President of Habitat for Humanity being elected to serve as its Executive Director.