Catholic Charities Providing help. Creating hope.

Catholic Charities filling the housing
gap with affordable homes

By Heather Felton
The Florida Catholic Newspaper

Venice--About a year before the hurricanes hit last summer, the Board of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc., saw a growing need for affordable housing in southwest Florida and formed a new corporation: Catholic Charities Housing, Diocese of Venice, Inc.

Determined to continue the Catholic Charities mission of providing assistance to those in need regardless of race or religion, the new corporation began focusing its energy on ways to provide clean, safe and affordable homes, said Peter Routsis-Arroyo, president of Catholic Charities Housing. Then the hurricane struck. Afterward, there was an even greater need in going forward with affordable housing programs, causing Catholic Charities Housing to launch housing projects in different regions of the 10-county diocese.

“So we are positioned to be a major player in the housing industry in Southwest Florida,” he said. “Each is in different stages as we work with the architects and the developers looking for possible sources of funding to make them become realities.”

Casa San Juan Bosco

The Casa San Juan Bosco Community for farm workers and migrants is a $13-$15 million project planned for the Arcadia area in DeSoto County. The community, to be located on 160 acres at State Road 70 East and Cross Avenue S.E., will have 110 rental homes, 38 of which are for single men. It will also include a community center and playground with a soccer field.

So far, he said, Catholic Charities Housing has applied and received a $3 million grant from USDA Rural Development for 28 single-family, three bedroom/two bath homes. The agency also received a $2 million grant from the Florida Housing Finance Corporation for an additional 44 homes.

This month, said Routsis-Arroyo, Catholic Charities Housing is applying to the USDA for another $3 million grant to combine with the Florida Housing Finance Corporation grant which will, he said, “pretty much complete phase one and phase two of this project.”

“We’ve got the support of the growers and the county in trying to make this happen,” Routsis-Arroyo said. “And I can’t say enough about the support we’ve received from Father (Jerome) Carosella and Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Boca Grande.”

The parish, he said, has collected more than $230,000 for the project.

In addition, he said, Father Don Henry and St. Thomas More Parish, Sarasota, and Father Luis Pacheco, formerly of St. Paul Parish, Arcadia, have provided a great deal of support for the project there.

St. Thomas More Parish, he said, is building a “model home” for the community which they will then give to a deserving family selected by Father Pacheco and local Catholic Charities staff. The factory-made, panelized model home will show people another, affordable alternative to buying trailers.

“If we can get this entire thing up and running – phase one, phase two, phase three – phase four would be to help these families toward home ownership,” he said.

Marian Manor

The second housing program under way is Marian Manor – a $4-$5 million 32-unit apartment complex for low-income families of Port Charlotte.

“We’re really excited about that,” said Routsis-Arroyo. “Besides the great need for affordable housing in Port Charlotte due to the devastation, it’s for families. It will also give Catholic Charities a better presence in Charlotte County.”

The land, he said, is located at U.S. 41 and Vick Street.

 “We’ve been accepted by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation for a $500,000 pre-development loan and we’ll be using that to develop the site and explore how we’re going to go about funding the project,” Routsis-Arroyo said. “We’re purchasing the land from St. Charles Borromeo Parish and we’re grateful to them for allowing us to do so.”

The Village of Hope in Myakka City

The third possible project being explored is the Village of Hope in Myakka City – this could be a community of 110 single-family attached units with 40 duplexes and 10 triplexes located on 27 acres along State Road 70 East and Singletary Road in Manatee County. The community is designed to house the minimum wage-earning workforce of the fast-growing east county, such as those in the construction, farm and service industries, Routsis-Arroyo said.

“That whole area east of I-75 is developing so fast, we really see a need for workforce housing out there,” he said. “If we can get the funding and the zoning to make this happen, its going to be a beautiful place to live… well managed and affordable.”

Casa San Jose

One additional and specialized project now in the early stages of construction is Casa San Jose – an eight apartment complex at 17th Street and Hammock Place in Sarasota. Funded by a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and a $250,000 SHIP loan from Sarasota County, the complex will be an adult congregate assisted living facility for people with special needs.

Once completed, the facility will provide permanent housing to clients who can continue to live independently, but are also receiving social security and disability for health reasons. Plus, said Routsis-Arroyo, the $250,000 support and operational portion of the HUD grant is renewable, which means that assistance for the facility could continue for many years.

Meeting the need

“What all if this means is that with the support of Bishop (John J.) Nevins and the diocese, Catholic Charities is responding to one of the greatest needs confronting our communities, which is good, safe, clean affordable housing,” he said. “We have clearly seen that with the rising costs of housing, in the coming years it’s going be very difficult for the people in southwest Florida who don’t own a home to continue to live here and yet the state needs them. That’s the workforce. I think the Catholic community can be proud that through the efforts of Catholic Charities and the bishop, we’re stepping up to the plate to try to serve that growing gap in housing.”

For more information on the Catholic Charities Housing, Diocese of Venice, Inc., contact the central office. 

Click here for contact information.