Enclave At Canopy Park opens in Orlando, offering homes for 104 families

Orange County and community partners on Friday unveiled the Enclave At Canopy Park, a 104-unit affordable housing development near I-4 and Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando, officials and a new resident said.

County and project representatives said the complex was built with funding from Orange County's Affordable Housing Trust Fund and support from community partners as part of the county's Housing for All initiative; the project is intended to provide modern, affordable homes to families who have struggled to find housing.

"It feels like home," said Crystal Ferguson, who had just moved into the complex. Ferguson described the unit as currently sparsely furnished but said she expected it would soon be filled: "Even though it's empty, I know it's gonna be full." The remarks were part of a short program featuring resident testimony and remarks from county and project representatives.

An Orange County official said the county has invested in roughly a dozen properties to expand affordable housing, calling the Enclave the fourth such project completed in about three months. "As it relates to affordable housing, Orange County has, some 12 different properties that we have invested dollars in to bring affordable housing units to our community. This is the 4th one that we have done now in the last 3 months," the official said.

A project representative described a design goal of delivering affordable units with the same finishes and amenities seen in recent market-rate buildings. "This development has, you know, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances. All of our stuff is energy efficient. We don't put any carpet in our units," the representative said. The reporter noted qualifying residents will have access to EV charging stations and on-site security.

Speakers at the opening said construction has already prompted neighboring property owners and business operators to renovate and repaint nearby buildings, and that the development is intended to act as a catalyst for further neighborhood investment. County and project speakers framed the work as an example of cross-sector cooperation to produce housing at scale.

The opening is part of Orange County's broader Housing for All initiative, which county speakers said has expanded access to thousands of households through investments in multiple developments. The segment ended with a sign-off from the reporter, who identified herself as Crystal Candy for Orange TV.