Universal, partners break ground on affordable housing community in Orange County

Groundbreaking for Catchlight Crossings

Touted as a "modern take on a miniature city," Universal and its partners broke ground on a new affordable housing project coming to Orange County in 2026.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - Touted as a "modern take on a miniature city," Universal and its partners broke ground on a new affordable housing project coming to Orange County in 2026.

"This is going to be unlike any affordable housing project you've ever seen," John Sprouls, CEO of Universal City Development Partners, said Wednesday.

The community, called Catchlight Crossings, will sit on 20 acres east of the Orange County Convention Center. The land was donated by Universal through its not-for-profit, Housing for Tomorrow.

"By donating the land, you change the whole calculus of how the financing gets paid off and therefore what the rents need to be," Sprouls said.

The project will feature 1,000 apartments, medical offices, retail stores, free preschool, and more, all thanks to a public-private partnership between Universal, Wendover Housing Partners, and the county.

(Wendover Housing Partners)

"A lot of folks are commuting up to two hours each way every single day. Think of what that does to their life and the opportunities that they're missing with their children, with health care, with education, and now it's all right within their home," Wendover Housing Partners CEO Jonathan Wolf said.

Of the 1,000 apartments, 750 will be designated as affordable and will be reserved for households with incomes at or below 60 percent of the area's median income. According to the U.S. Census, 60 percent of the median household income in Orange County amounts to approximately $40,000.

Rent for the apartments could be as low as $400 a month to as high as $1,800 a month, but Wolf says each apartment will have access to the same amenities, regardless of the rent cost.

"It's a game changer for many lives here," he said.

Applications will be accepted in about 15 months which is when the first apartment is expected to be built. They'll be available on a first-come-first-serve basis and will not be limited to Universal employees.

"Our team members are no different than any other workers in our industry. Anything we can do to improve their quality of life makes them happier, and it's a pretty simple formula," Sprouls said. "Happy employees equals happy guests."