LaTonya Riley, a lifelong Apopka resident, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 and faced years of surgeries and hospital stays while caring for her children. Like many families in Florida, she also needed affordable housing, a challenge for households that spend over 30 percent of income on housing. Orange County has invested more than $58 million in affordable housing since 2020, including the Surplus Lots Program that donates County‑owned vacant lots to nonprofit partners such as Habitat for Humanity.
Riley entered Habitat for Humanity’s Homebuyer Program in 2023, completed the required sweat‑equity work and eventually received the keys to a new home. The program is designed to lower development costs and expand access to safe, affordable housing.
Since its launch, Orange County’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund has helped create or preserve nearly 2,300 affordable housing units, including dozens of homes built on surplus lot donations. Habitat for Humanity officials say homeownership can change a family’s trajectory by providing stability, better health and improved outcomes for children.
Press release issued by Orange County Government Newsroom:
https://newsroom.ocfl.net/2026/07/surplus-lots-program-helps-family-achieve-homeownership/
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