New Bradenton apartment complex aims to ‘end family homelessness,’ officials say
A new affordable house complex began construction recently in Bradenton.
Located at 600 Orlando Ave., Cedar Cove will have 80 affordable housing units. Forty apartments will be for families emerging from homelessness, according to a news release.
The $28 million complex will take about 14 months to finish, a spokesperson said, with a completion target date of winter 2026 or spring 2027. When complete, Cedar Cove will have three three-story buildings with a clubhouse, playground, parking, 1.8 acres of green space and a stormwater retention area.
“Workforce Housing fills a critical need for the citizens of Manatee County,” Manatee County Commissioner Mike Rahn said in a news release. “Cedar Cove will provide the housing that is needed for those who need it the most. We are proud to have this project in Manatee County and what it will provide to the citizens.”
The apartments are divided into 14 one-bedroom, 42 two-bedroom and 24 three-bedroom units. The one-bedroom apartments include one bathroom and are 703 square feet. The two-bedroom apartments have two bathrooms and are 966 square feet. The three-bedroom apartments have two bathrooms and are 1,153 square feet.
Tampa Bay-based affordable housing developer Blue Sky Communities and nonprofit partner Community Assisted & Supported Living (CASL) broke ground on the community recently.
How to qualify?
To qualify, you must meet the threshold to be considered for low income or below. Rent rates are based on whether an applicant makes 22%, 30% or 60% of the area median income, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
However, half of the units are available to applicants earning 60% of the area median income, as most of the lower tier is earmarked for applicants through the Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness, an organization helping to ensure families experiencing homelessness are prioritized for housing.
Monthly rent rates are $1,211 for a one-bedroom, $1,453 for a two-bedroom and $1,679 for a three-bedroom apartment to the general public under the 60% area median income qualifying parameters. The local average rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $1,797 per month, according to Apartments.com.
The 60% income limits are $45,240 for one person, $51,660 for two people and $58,140 for three people, according to the news release.
“The groundbreaking of Cedar Cove represents a powerful milestone in our community’s fight to end family homelessness,” Suncoast Partnership chief executive officer Taylor Neighbors said in a news release. “Suncoast Partnership receives numerous requests from families experiencing homelessness throughout our community seeking to be connected with resources to end their homelessness.”
What is the criteria for emerging from homelessness?
To qualify as a family emerging from homelessness, an applicant must currently meet one of the following criteria:
Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; living in a motel, hotel, travel trailer park, or camping ground due to a lack of alternative adequate accommodations; living in an emergency or transitional shelter; sleeping in a public or private place not designed for – or ordinarily used as – a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings and living in a car, park, public space, abandoned building, bus or train station or similar setting.
CASL is also providing families emerging from homelessness with transportation, healthcare and personalized case management.
“We are honored to support this development and stand alongside Blue Sky Communities, CASL, and Manatee County in bringing safe, stable homes and on-site supportive services to families in need,” Neighbors said in the news release. “Together, we’re not only helping families access housing; we are restoring hope that has been lost and ensuring families have a pathway toward long-term stability and opportunity.”
