Central Florida Development Provides Supportive Housing for People With Disabilities

Central Florida Development Provides Supportive Housing for People With Disabilities

Constructed in 2023, Swan Lake Village is a permanent supportive housing development in Lakeland, Florida. Photo credit: Drone Elevations

Swan Lake Village is a permanent supportive housing development in Lakeland, a midsized city in central Florida. Blue Sky Communities and Community Assisted and Supportive Living (CASL) developed the 84-unit project in 2023 as their first supportive housing project in Polk County. By integrating supportive services, Swan Lake Village provides a safe and supportive environment for lower-income residents, many of whom have histories of addiction issues or mental health disorders. 

Developing Swan Lake

Founded in 1998, CASL is a Sarasota-based nonprofit provider of permanent supportive housing that serves people with developmental disabilities and mental health disorders. With its development partner, Blue Sky Communities, CASL has developed apartment-style affordable housing communities in central and southwest Florida to serve this vulnerable population. Looking to expand their footprint, Blue Sky and CASL purchased a vacant 8-acre parcel near Interstate 4 in Lakeland. Located between the cities of Tampa and Orlando, Lakeland has approximately 120,000 residents and, along with much of Polk County, its population is rapidly growing. From 2022 to 2023, the Lakeland-Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area was the second-fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States.

Support staff stationed in the clubhouse provide resident services such as counseling, behavioral health care, and financial assistance. Staff can also connect residents to other service providers in the area. Photo credit: Drone Elevations

The developers began construction on Swan Lake Village in 2020. Most of the funding for the approximately $22 million development came in the form of federal low-income housing tax credit equity. The project also benefited from a low-interest State Apartment Incentive Loan (SAIL) from the Florida Housing Finance Corporation and a federal HOME Investment Partnerships award from the city. The development opened in 2023 and was fully leased shortly thereafter. According to Scott Eller, the chief executive officer of CASL, more than 4,000 households initially applied for apartments in Swan Lake, highlighting the demand for affordable housing in this rapidly growing county.

The Apartments

The 2 three-story residential buildings contain a combined total of 84 one- and two-bedroom apartments ranging from 725 to 1,055 square feet. All the apartments are set aside for low- to moderate-income residents; 22 units are reserved for households earning up to 40 percent of the area median income (AMI), 8 are reserved for those earning up to 50 percent of AMI, and 54 are reserved for those earning up to 60 percent of AMI. Project-based vouchers from the Homeless Coalition of Polk County support 16 of the apartments, and 10 are supported by Section 8 vouchers from the Lakeland Housing Authority.

A clubhouse between the two residential buildings offers a communal gathering space for residents. A pool and fitness center are adjacent to the clubhouse, and a large nature preserve sits behind the property. Residents are also near a large grocery store and fast-food outlets.

Serving a Vulnerable Population

Many of Swan Lake's residents have experienced or have been on the verge of experiencing homelessness and suffer from addiction issues or mental health disorders. Approximately 10 percent of occupants are young adults who are aging out of foster care. Onsite staff offer wraparound services to help residents stabilize in their new environments. With support from state funding, CASL employs two case managers: a regional service coordinator and a part-time Recovery Peer Specialist. The staff provide various services, including counseling, behavioral health care, financial assistance, and transportation coordination. They also connect residents to partner service providers in the area, including those offering free childcare as well as tutoring and school supplies. Some community partners also assist with education and employment services. In addition, residents in need can receive wheelchairs, ramps, and other mobility aids.  

P.J. Brooks, CASL's chief operating officer, explained that these support services are intended to help residents become more stable and independent. The goal is to allow residents to thrive in a safe environment. Brooks added that property managers and CASL case managers work as a team with residents who have committed infractions of Swan Lakes' tenant rules to reduce their chances of eviction. In the first year after opening, nearly 90 percent of the original residents are still stably housed at Swan Lake.

Moving Forward

Eller and Brooks believe that Swan Lake Village is helping advance their mission of providing vulnerable residents with a safe and supportive environment where they can prosper. "We recognize that, for many of our residents, this could be their forever home, and we want to keep it that way," Brooks said. Eller noted that people recovering from addiction and related health issues need high-quality housing.

CASL and Blue Sky have other developments in the works. In February 2024, they broke ground on Jersey Commons, a similar 68-unit development in nearby Winter Haven. They also plan to open Alto Tower in Miami, their first South Florida project, in 2025.