CDBG 50th Anniversary: Orange County, Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando & Osceola County replace blind veteran’s roof

CDBG 50th Anniversary: Orange County, Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando & Osceola County replace blind veteran's roof

This is the second in a series of stories highlighting the success of the federal Community Development Block Grant program, which is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year.

Eddie Lee, a blind Army veteran, dealt with a leaky roof for nearly 10 years.

Like an unwelcome visitor, water would enter the 82-year-old's Orange County home every time it rained.

"It was very frustrating," Lee said. "It was springing little leaks here and there and it was getting worse."

The condition of his roof made his home insurance premium skyrocket, something he struggled to afford on his fixed income.

Lee was able to get his roof fully replaced at no cost thanks to Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando & Osceola County, Orange County, and the Community Development Block Grant.

After the replacement, Lee was able to save more than $2,000 on his home insurance premium.

Throughout 2024, Orange County is celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the federal Community Development Block Grant by shining a light on nonprofits that have used the funding to help local residents.

The Community Development Block Grant is a flexible set of federal dollars used to address community development needs, including infrastructure, affordable housing, and economic development projects.

Over the past five years, Orange County has invested $16 million in CDBG funding into housing activities and $7 million into improvements to public facilities and infrastructure.

Since 2019, Habitat for Humanity Orlando & Osceola, a nonprofit that builds and repairs affordable homes and provides housing counseling and educational programs to the community, has received $1.41 million in CDBG funding. The money has enabled the nonprofit to replace 118 roofs for homeowners across Central Florida. Another 80 replacements are planned for next year.

"If the Community Development Block Grant program was no longer around in Orange County, it would be a tremendous deficit to the residents here," said Catherine Steck McManus, President & CEO of Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando & Osceola County. "The CDBG grant really does make an impact neighborhood by neighborhood."

From his home in the Robinswood community of Orlando, Lee no longer worries about the weather.

"When the rain comes now, I'm not worried about having to stop a leak," he said. "This was really a blessing for me."

Learn more about how the County is using grant programs to improve the community by visiting Community Development (orangecountyfl.net). For questions or additional information, email [email protected].