Recently, Hope Partnership programs have been featured both by Spectrum News 13 and Wesh 2. In late May, Spectrum profiled one of our clients named Bruce Wagner. Bruce has worked with our Hope Cares team and our IDignity Osceola team. He lost his social security card while living on the streets of Kissimmee, and the IDignity Osceola team helped secure the documents he needed to get a new one. Now that he has these basic identifying items, Our Hope Cares team can navigate him into housing. Watch the story here. Also in late May, WFTV 9 profiled another one of our clients, Harvest, who spent four years experiencing homelessness before was able to secure stable housing. With the help of IDignity Osceola he received his identification documents and is able to apply for jobs and start a new life. Watch the story here.
In addition to the profile of Bruce, Wesh 2 sat down with Hope Partnership COO, Will Cooper to discuss our motel conversion project. In late 2019, Hope Partnership embarked on a feasibility study for our planned housing project at our Shingle Creek Property. Then COVID-19 hit, and we found that a new build project was no longer feasible: costs were exponentially higher, and the uncertainty of what was to come made pursuing that type of project unattainable. However, the data gathered in the study did suggest that a motel conversion may be more feasible. With a constricted tourism market and significant federal resources, the best way for Hope Partnership to enter the housing development arena seemed to be through a hotel conversion. Fast forward three years (though the process has certainly not been fast) and we are so excited to be under contract with a motel property with the plans to add 30 units that will provide dignified homes for our neighbors experiencing homelessness and poverty. We can not wait to share more about the details of this project after we close on the property and hope you will join us on our housing journey. Watch the story here.
