Maxwell: Orlando's newest NIMBY fight is against … teacher housing?

We all hear lots of talk about how society should do more for teachers.

So a while back, Orange County Public Schools started trying to act on that talk with regards to housing by helping create nice, new apartments near schools where teachers can actually afford to live.

Sounds pretty feel-good, right?

Not to some residents of a neighborhood where a 100-unit complex specifically for teachers and other district employees is in the works.

Neighbors in the Isle of Catalina in southwest Orlando, just a stone's throw from Interstate 4 and a busy L.B. McLeod Road, have been gearing up for war with a campaign to keep the teacher-housing out.

Local TV and news sites have documented the battle with alarming headlines aplenty:

"Teacher housing plan sparks pushback in Isle of Catalina community"

"Neighbors fear big changes in Isle of Catalina neighborhood"

"Isle of Catalina Revolts Over 100‑Unit Teacher Housing Plan"

You'd think this was a plan to import and house drug dealers.

It's actually an attempt to give members of an invaluable profession - one that’s historically underpaid - a place to live that's right next to an existing school, Catalina Elementary School. A place that is right next to other, existing apartment complexes.

We'll talk more about the neighbors' concerns and objections in a moment. But first, it's time for a bigger-picture, come-to-Jesus moment:

Central Florida needs more housing, period. Virtually everywhere.

Metro Orlando has one of the worst affordable-housing shortages in America with only 13 units available for every 100 families that need one, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

Maxwell: Orlando and Vegas lead nation's housing shortage. Let’s fix that.

Well, the best way to address housing problems is to create more housing. That may sound obvious. But entire books have been written on the topic, because way too many people and communities just don't get it.

There isn't just one solution. Permitting needs to be expedited. Government needs to invest more. Elected officials need to approve more, denser housing options.

Yes, that means that some communities may have to endure the horrors of buildings taller than three or four stories. (I'm looking at you, Winter Park.) Sprawl isn't good for anyone other than developers trying to snatch up cheap land and turn quick profits.

We need more affordable housing options closer to the places where people work and play. Sometimes that means duplexes. Sometimes it means tiny houses or multi-level complexes. And sometimes, it means housing specifically built for professionals we want to keep in our community.

Several communities are nibbling around the edges with efforts to provide handfuls of housing units at a time for teachers in places like Orlando and Winter Park. But we need much more.

Some residents of Isle of Catalina, however, have mounted a NIMBY campaign against this latest project, complaining about increased traffic and “neighborhood safety.” The neighborhood is dotted with signs that say "NO ISLE APTS." And some residents have launched a website with a similar all-caps demand: "NO APARTMENTS IN THE ISLE OF CATALINA."

I reached out to the organizers of the website and haven’t heard back. But one organizer told Spectrum News 13 that "it's not a good fit for our community. For traffic, for crime, for pollution, for everything."

I spent some time in the neighborhood last week and appreciate what residents there have. It’s a community of largely well-maintained homes, many ranch houses built decades ago during Florida’s boom years, and some of which are for now for sale for anywhere from $300,000 to $600,000.

I also saw that the property in question is right next to two other existing apartment complexes bordering the neighborhood. Each about 50 years old. One would like to think the district’s complex would be an upgrade.

That is precisely what Deputy Superintendent Bridget Williams, who lives nearby, believes. "We want to add value to the community," she said. "This is for the bus driver, the custodian, the teacher. To me, this is the best neighbor you could have."

Williams said the principal of Catalina Elementary has even said she would like to move into the complex, having tired of the one-hour daily drive she has to get to this neighborhood school.

I will say that one resident's concern, expressed to WKMG, resonated with me. She said she wanted a guarantee that these apartments, promised to be for teachers and school staffers, would remain that way - that the complex won't later be flipped to another developer for another purpose.

I appreciate that skepticism. Florida, after all, is the land of broken promises. Especially when it comes to development. But school officials stress that, even though a private company, Wendover Housing Partners, would build the complex, the district is keeping ownership of the land. That way, the district will be able to control what happens there.

Still, sensitive to neighbors' concerns, Williams said that the district is planning on holding a community meeting next week to hear what residents have to say and see if there are things both sides can learn from each other.

"I want everybody to come together. I want this to work. I really do," she said. "I grew up in that community, and schools have always been part of that community. All we're trying to do is help our employees."

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This story was originally published July 15, 2026 at 11:13 AM.