Disney is fondly thought-about the happiest place on earth. However for Orange County residents who stay inside simply miles of Walt Disney World, that affection is souring due to an reasonably priced housing undertaking slated to open throughout the subsequent couple of years.
Nearly two years in the past, Walt Disney World announced it was dedicating almost 80 acres of land for a brand new reasonably priced housing undertaking in Orange County, which would come with about 1,400 models of mixed-income housing. A minimum of 1,000 of them could be reserved as “affordable” for residents incomes 50% to 100% of the median earnings, or as much as about $70,000. Disney nonetheless owns the land, however is working with developer The Michaels Organization to construct extra housing for “cost-burdened renters” in central Florida.
However some residents are objecting to the undertaking, involved it may add congestion to the world and stress on its public faculty system, in response to an Orlando Sentinel report.
“They’re trying to pack an enormous amount of density into what is essentially the size of a Costco parking lot,” Alex Cabrera, who lives lower than two miles from the longer term growth, mentioned throughout a planning and zoning board assembly final month, in response to the Sentinel. “It’s just way too much.”
However on Tuesday, Orange County commissioners voted to maneuver ahead with the event, and the plan will probably be reviewed by the Florida Division of Commerce and different state businesses.
“We are responding to Orange County leadership’s call to bring more positive change to our community and have a plan that will make a meaningful impact,” Tajiana Ancora-Brown, director of exterior affairs for Walt Disney World Resort, advised Fortune in an announcement. “We are pleased with [the] vote and look forward to continuing our efforts to bring affordable housing to Central Florida.”
Simply the newest goal of NIMBYs
The U.S. has been in a housing crunch for some time—and affordability stays a priority as rents keep excessive, mortgage charges keep elevated, and residential costs proceed to rise. That’s why communities like Orange County are in dire want of reasonably priced housing models just like the one Disney is backing.
Different teams together with hoteliers, Habitat for Humanity, and a college academics union have additionally overtly supported the event, deliberate for part of the county referred to as Horizon West, however for locals, it’s a troublesome capsule to swallow. These Orange County residents are simply the newest instance of a wave of NIMBYism—or “not in my backyard,” an angle plaguing America that has blocked extra housing growth in already established areas.
“NIMBYism is real, and failing to secure buy-in from the community adds time, cost and uncertainty,” Tom Barkin, president of the Federal Reserve Financial institution of Richmond, mentioned in a November 2023 speech.
Whereas an Orange County commissioner mentioned through the planning and zoning assembly that her constituents are being wrongly painted as NIMBYs, they nonetheless mentioned the world isn’t prepared to soak up extra individuals.
“We are not in a position to put more human beings in an area that isn’t ready for them,” District 1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson mentioned through the assembly, in response to WMFE, a neighborhood NPR station. “I think we have this perception that affordable housing is the goal. And yes, it should be affordable, but it should also come with all the things we need for it to be successful.”
However like many different NIMBY circumstances, there are just a few loud voices talking for a big group. Certainly, solely about 30 residents out of Orange County’s inhabitants of 1.4 million confirmed as much as the current planning and zoning board assembly to air their grievances. Organizations together with the Orange County Classroom Academics Affiliation, Orlando Financial Partnership, and the West Orange Chamber of Commerce submitted letters of help for the undertaking.
“Currently many of the businesses we represent are struggling to recruit and retain workers due to the limited supply of affordable and attainable housing in Orange County,” Stephen Lewis, president and CEO of West Orange Chamber of Commerce, wrote in a help letter. “Ensuring affordable housing is available for West Orange residents is critical to the success of our county and will help grow small businesses and bring long-awaited amenities to the residents of Horizon West.”
Extra concerning the undertaking
The groundbreaking for the reasonably priced housing undertaking is about for this yr, however the first models wouldn’t be obtainable till 2026. Whereas Disney solid members are capable of apply to stay on the growth, it’s open to any Orange County residents who meet the earnings necessities. An Orange County household of two making between roughly $35,000 to $70,000 would qualify, in response to HUD information.
Courtesy of Disney
Though critics say the brand new growth would put stress on surrounding colleges, Orange County Public Colleges (OCPS) decided that they’ll have capability by the point the event really opens. The housing growth is predicted so as to add one other 206 elementary, 94 center, and 116 highschool college students to the district, an OCPS data officer advised Fortune. Plus, there are plans so as to add two extra elementary colleges that might serve that space. And the developer, The Michaels Group, has dedicated to pay hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in influence charges to the county to make use of for public infrastructure and companies, together with roadway updates, faculty capability, public security wants, and extra.
Disney’s solely position within the growth is contributing the land—and the corporate says it gained’t revenue from the event. The Michaels Group will construct, personal, and function the event and can privately finance it.
“This initiative has been in the works for several years as the lack of affordable housing is affecting many people across our country, including those who live and work in Central Florida,” according to Walt Disney World. “This undertaking is the precise alternative and the precise time to take motion.
