I visited the site of Disney's first affordable housing development. Here's what I found.
Walt Disney World is building its first-ever affordable housing development.
The 1,400 units will be built in Horizon West, a master-planned community in Central Florida.
Housing insecurity is a problem in Central Florida — for residents and Disney cast members alike.
I don't typically spend my Friday afternoons flitting across Orlando in search of undeveloped plots, but nearly 80 acres of land have become a source of tension for some residents of Horizon West.
The master-planned community, complete with five villages and a town center, spans over 20,000 acres and is about 20 minutes from the Magic Kingdom.
Construction for nearly 1,400 mixed-income housing units — developed by The Michaels Organization on land owned by Walt Disney World — will begin this year. More than 1,000 units will be dedicated to affordable housing.
"We selected this land because it is part of a thriving community, close to employers, shopping, services, public schools, and areas of rest and recreation," Disney says about the development on its website. "We feel there is no better-positioned community in Central Florida to provide residents the opportunity to start a new chapter of their story."
Disney said the "critical" need for affordable housing units prompted it to pursue the project. "The lack of affordable housing is affecting many people across our country, including those who live and work in Central Florida," the company says.
Housing insecurity continues to impact Central Florida.
Residents across various industries are still reeling from the increased cost of living and the dicey housing market that emerged after the COVID-19 pandemic. That includes hospitality and tourism workers — like Walt Disney World cast members — who are vital to the area's economy. Former cast members have told local Florida outlets and BI that they've struggled with housing insecurity and securing living wages.
Walt Disney World has made strides to address the issue. In 2021, the company set a $15 minimum wage for cast members and increased it to $18 in 2023.
Critics of the privately funded project said the fast-growing area is already crowded and does not have the infrastructure to handle an influx of residents. Supporters said it's an opportunity to address the housing insecurity in Central Florida. Orange County expects the population, now over 1.5 million, to increase by 500,000 by 2050.
Orange County District 1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson, who represents residents in Horizon West, opposed a proposal for the housing units last year.
"We are not in a position to put more human beings in an area that isn't ready for them. I think we have this perception that affordable housing is the goal. And yes, it should be affordable, but it should also come with all the things we need for it to be successful," Wilson told WMFE, a local public radio station.
In response to concerned citizens, a Disney spokesperson told Newsweek, "Orange County leaders continue to identify affordable housing as one of the most significant priorities for our region, and we take great pride in bringing a plan to the table that can contribute to the solution."
Residents told BI that Horizon West used to be a hidden gem, but now it's attracting people in search of camaraderie and what they call the "village lifestyle."
I toured the community to see what all the hype was about.
As I walked through Horizon West, one thing became clear: It's a lively, family-focused community that is quickly expanding.
Parents pushed strollers, couples walked dogs, and packs of laughing children sped down the sidewalks on electric scooters. Palm trees dotted the grassy landscape alongside several apartment buildings and retail spots. It's a far cry from when citrus farmers and their groves dominated the area.
Orange County began to develop Horizon West in 1995 after a series of freezes decimated the citrus groves in the area. Inspired by the new urbanism movement, developers created a master plan that envisioned each village having housing, shops, a place to work, a school, parks, and other things essential to daily life.
That "village lifestyle" is one reason Heather Parker and her family moved to Horizon West from Missouri in 2020. Parker is the culture & engagement manager for Horizon West Happenings, a community initiative focused on empowering residents.
"When we decided to move to Florida, my kids were in elementary school and middle school, so having the school was a very big draw to us," Parker said. "As we started researching, we found a couple of options that were a good fit."
It was also appealing that residents have easy access to green spaces and often forgo cars for bicycles or scooters, she said.
"Everything is open and connected," Parker said. "I can go to the grocery store on my scooter to pick up a couple of items or go to the dentist. The hospital is two minutes down the street from me. There are so many great things about everything being so close."
Although each village appears similar at a glance, Lindsay Turner, the director of marketing for Horizon West Happenings, said each "has its own unique vibe."
Hamlin, for example, acts as the downtown and offers a nightlife element attractive to young professionals. Bridgewater is "family-oriented," while Village I attracts many Disney employees due to the close commute. There's also a Brazilian influence prevalent in some villages that isn't in others, which Turner said shows how each area is distinct.
Florida became a top destination for people moving states during the COVID-19 pandemic, giving it an economic boost but also increasing living costs. When I explored Horizon West, it seemed like there were signs and banners advertising real estate options on every corner.
Real estate agent Nicole Mickle said the influx of new Floridians was felt in Horizon West. She and her family moved to the area in 2018. "I sold many homes through FaceTime," Mickle said.
The US Census Bureau reported that 14,000 people lived in Horizon West in 2010, and that number rose to over 58,100 in 2020. The community is now about 75,000, according to the Census Reporter.
"The rumors are true," Turner said."The growth is exponential. It's insane how quickly and how fast things grow here. You can leave Horizon West for a month or two and come back to areas that are completely unrecognizable."
Horizon West has various housing options at different price points, which the developers specified in the master plan.
"Apartments could be around $2,500 a month, and homes could be multimillion-dollar over here," Mickle said. "I think the homes are still affordable for what Horizon West offers. You can't find this in other areas of Orlando at the moment."
Mickle said the recent population boom, in tandem with residents' passion for Horizon West, could explain the stir around the Disney-backed housing units.
"What some want to do is keep the integrity of the community," Mickle said.
Residents circulated a petition last year saying they "strongly opposed" the construction because it threatened "the local environment and quality of life due to the inappropriate location and lack of adequate infrastructure." Some residents told local media outlets that the housing units would bring more traffic to the area, while others wondered how affordable the units would actually be.
Although the units have drawn criticism, Parker said they've also generated excitement from those looking for new housing opportunities. The units are meant for Central Florida residents across many industries and backgrounds, including firefighters, teachers, and hospitality workers.
"Not many teachers in Horizon West live in the area," Parker said. "It is an upper-middle-class area, and teachers in Florida may not make enough money to live here otherwise."
Parker said the project is designed to fit aesthetically with the surrounding Horizon West properties and will have coveted amenities like pocket parks.
"Disney has done a great job of holding community meetings, opening up the dialogue, listening, and trying to make sure everybody's on the same page," Parker said.
Read the original article on Business Insider
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Michigan proposal to tax the rich, fund schools raises questions with business groups
(Getty Images) A group of Michigan educational and labor organizations launched a ballot initiative to let Michigan voters decide if they want to place higher taxes on wealthy Michiganders to fund public K-12 schools this week and business groups are questioning how beneficial the change would be for the state. Michigan's 4.25% income tax rate has billionaires and teachers paying the same rate, Michigan Education Justice Coalition, one of the education groups behind the ballot initiative to add a 5% income tax hike for individuals with incomes over $500,000 and couples earning over $1 million said Thursday. One of the key questions business groups will be considering when evaluating the proposed additional increases in income tax rates is how any change would impact Michigan's competitiveness as a place to live and do business, Joshua Lunger, vice president of Government Affairs for the Grand Rapids Chamber, told Michigan Advance on Friday. The chamber will be reviewing the ballot initiative before taking any official position on it, but right away, Lunger said a lot of states that are growing have no income tax or are trying to reduce their income tax rates, so it's important to evaluate what the unique impact on Michigan would be. That's what the chamber did when it opposed the 2010 temporary income tax increase for Grand Rapids residents and then supported maintaining the tax increase with the condition that the city funded road repairs, Lunger said. 'It really comes down to, what is it being used for? What's the potential impact? And both positive and negative, are there any other unintended consequences?' Lunger said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Michigan's public school system has historically been underfunded with Michigan State University researchers finding that the state's funding for K-12 schools dropped further than any other state in the two decades before the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, Michigan students experienced some of the worst learning losses in the country, a 2025 report from EdTrust-Midwest, a Michigan-based, education advocacy nonprofit group, found. The report also noted Michigan ranked among the worst states in the country for funding the educational success of low-income students, who are testing lower in Michigan than national averages on 3rd grade reading tests and 7th grade math tests. Michigan's reading scores for younger students are some of the worst in the country, a pain point with decisionmakers in Lansing when discussing state budgets and spending decisions. But another focus area is Michigan's stagnating population growth and the necessity to entice businesses to come to Michigan and for Michiganders to remain in the state's workforce. In order for Michigan to get on track to grow, the state should be incentivizing economic success, not further taxing it, Jase Bolger, president and CEO of the West Michigan Policy Forum said in a statement in response to the ballot initiative Friday morning. Instead of throwing money at Michigan's educational system that is failing to address the needs of students, Bolger said parents should be provided more information about the status of their child's learning and if they're meeting expectations. 'Way too many kids in Michigan can't read, but it's clear these adults can't do simple math. Today in Michigan, the more you make the more you pay. But worse is that this proposal would drive Michigan further in the wrong direction,' Bolger said. 'While states that are growing are overwhelmingly cutting taxes on work, or don't tax work at all, this would double down on Michigan's lagging policies that have led to the fastest growing unemployment rate in the country.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Default ahead for California? Unlikely, says New Report From Payden & Rygel's California Municipal Social Impact Fund Team
LOS ANGELES, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Recent concerns over California's fiscal health—driven by declining initial public offering (IPO) volume, reduced federal funding risk, and rising costs—have prompted questions about the state's financial stability. However, after a thorough analysis, Payden & Rygel's market-leading municipal bond team believes the risk of a bond default or severe credit deterioration remains low. 'While we understand investors' concerns about the California economy, its capacity to generate adequate revenue to match spending levels and the potential impact on the state's municipal debt, we believe that although the revenue picture is softening, the outlook remains relatively stable over the next 1-2 years with potential credit rating deterioration limited to just one notch over that timeframe in a worst case scenario. Near term ratings will hinge on the final FY 26 budget that we expect Sacramento to pass by June 15th, otherwise lawmakers don't get paid,' say the report's authors, the Payden & Rygel's California Municipal Social Impact Fund team. 'We are also closely monitoring the evolution of entitlement spending reduction proposals at the federal level but ultimately expect Medicaid cuts to be less pervasive than currently feared,' they added. Here are six reasons to be optimistic: The 10th amendment prohibits states, including California, from filing for bankruptcy. While defaults are technically possible, California is nowhere near default based on current less than a month in the current fiscal year, tax revenues are weakening but remain strong, with Governor Newsom's recent May Revision projecting a relatively small $12 billion projected for next year. IPO activity, while down, is not a core revenue driver. Its recent decline reflects a normalization post-COVID stimulus, not a structural weakness. All three major credit agencies S&P, Moody's, and Fitch—rate California AA-/Aa2/AA, respectively, all with stable outlooks but we expect the ratings agencies to refine their views this summer following the finalization of the FY 2026 budget process by the end of gross domestic product (GDP) ranks #4 globally, recently surpassing Japan, underscoring a broad, diverse and innovative state economy with a deep employment base. Although reserves have dipped since 2023 due to pandemic fund drawdowns and budgetary uncertainty in FY 2023/2024 due to delayed tax receipts, they remain at comparatively strong levels historically that will grant state leadership time to navigate federal policy uncertainty, which Governor Newsom blames for a softening of service is low at 3–4% of governmental expenditures, and pension funding remains solid. Because of constitutional protections that prioritize education and debt payments, revenue would need to drop over 50% to threaten debt service. For context, State revenues dropped 15% in uncertainty, California retains healthy credit fundamentals with relatively stable ratings, manageable deficits, excellent access to liquidity and conservative budgeting assumptions that support bondholder confidence. In summary, while recent headlines surrounding tariffs, fiscal tightening, and economic uncertainty have contributed to heightened market anxiety, our base case remains firm: Although California's credit profile is softening, it continues to demonstrate resilience, supported by a vast and diversified tax base, substantial reserve levels across all governmental funds, and long-term liabilities that we consider both moderate and manageable. Here is a link to the full report. ABOUT PAYDEN & RYGEL With $165 billion under management, Payden & Rygel is one of the largest privately-owned global investment advisers focused on the active management of fixed income and equity portfolios. Payden & Rygel provides a full range of investment strategies and solutions to investors around the globe, including Central Banks, Pension Funds, Insurance Companies, Private Banks, and Foundations. This material reflects the firm's current opinion and is subject to change without notice. Sources for the material contained herein are deemed reliable but cannot be guaranteed. This material is for illustrative purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or an offer to sell or buy any security. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. For press requests, please contact:Kate Ennisennis@ Photos accompanying this announcement are available at This press release was published by a CLEAR® Verified in to access your portfolio
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Chinese exports to US plunge 35% in May — largest drop since start of COVID
China's exports to the US plunged in May as a temporary trade truce between the world's two largest economies proved 'too little, too late' to prevent chaos at ports. Chinese shipments to the US plummeted 35% in May compared to the year before, according to government data released Monday. That's the largest decline since February 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic caused a supply chain crisis. Advertisement 3 Cargo shipments piled up at a container terminal port in Shanghai, China. AP It comes after President Trump agreed to lower tariffs on China to 30% from 145% and Beijing slashed rates on the US to 10% from 125% for 90 days. 'The prohibitive tariffs were only lifted in mid-May, the damage was already done,' Tianchen Xu, senior economist at Economist Intelligence Unit, said. Advertisement The nation also reported a jump in exports to other parts of the world last month. Chinese shipments to Southeast Asia and European Union countries rose 15% and 12%, respectively. Those sent to Africa jumped more than 33%. China saw the same boom in exports to other countries in April, when Chinese exports to the US dropped 21%. 'These are obviously transshipments to the US via 3rd countries. Thailand and Vietnam look bonkers,' Robin Brooks, senior global economy fellow at Brookings Institution, said in a social media post. He nodded to a method used by exporters of sending goods to other countries facing lower tariffs before spiriting them off to the US, so they can skirt around Trump's steep taxes on China. Advertisement China reported its gross domestic product grew 5.4% during the first three months of the year as companies rushed to import goods ahead of the tariffs. 3 President Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in January. AP But the nation has faced a persistent deflation issue and a more hesitant consumer. In a sign of weak demand, imports to China fell 3.4% in May from the year before – a far drop from the 0.2% dip the month before and much worse than expectations. Advertisement That landed China's trade surplus at $103.2 billion last month, growing from $96.2 billion the month before. Imports from the US dropped more than 18%, shrinking China's trade surplus with the nation by 41.6% to $18 billion. 3 China's trade surplus reached $103.22 billion last month. AFP via Getty Images Meanwhile, Trump's top trade officials are set to meet with their Chinese counterparts for negotiations in London on Monday. It comes as tensions have reheated between the nations, with each accusing the other of breaching a temporary agreement reached in early May. The White House has accused China of failing to fulfill a promise to resume rare earth shipments, while Beijing has torched the US' export curbs on AI chips and its move to revoke Chinese student visas en masse. Fueling widespread uncertainty is a decision from a federal trade court late last month to block the majority of Trump's tariffs. The Trump administration quickly filed an appeal and demanded the court place a stay on the order in the meantime, which was granted, keeping the tariffs in place for now.
