ORLANDO, Fla. – As Universal Orlando approaches the opening of its largest theme park ever built, a groundbreaking project nearby is set to address the critical need of affordable housing for service and hospitality workers.
Catchlight Crossings, a 1,000-unit affordable housing community taking shape near Universal Epic Universe, is on track to welcome its first residents in early 2026, according to Wendover Housing Partners founder and CEO Jonathan Wolf.
Breaking ground nearly a year ago, the project is expected to go vertical in January. The 20-acre site, situated just east of the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando’s bustling tourist district, was donated by Universal to help alleviate the shortage of affordable and workforce housing in the area. Wendover Housing Partners was chosen to develop the property.
“In this district, there are about 100,000 people who come in every day to work,” Wolf said. “There is no affordable or workforce housing in this district for these 100,000 workers.”
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Of the 1,000 total units that will be offered at Catchlight Crossings, 600 are set aside for residents whose salaries are between 30%-60% of the area’s median income (AMI), while the remaining 400 units will provide workforce housing for those earning 80%-120% AMI. Orange County’s median income is $90,400.
The community will also offer a variety of amenities and on-site services, including medical offices, tuition-free preschool, educational opportunities with UCF and 16,000 square feet of retail space. Additionally, a transportation hub will provide access to ride-shares and on-demand shuttles.
“Nowhere in the country are these amenities, with the size and scope of housing, being created, so it’s one-of-a-kind,” Wolf explained. “This particular area has folks traveling the longest distances. There are folks an hour and a half to two hours each way every day while earning some of the lowest salaries.”
According to a report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the Orlando region has the fourth largest deficit of affordable housing in the United States — with only 18 affordable units available for every 100 extremely low-income renters.
Given the severe shortage, Wolf expects demand for units at Catchlight Crossings to far exceed availability, just as with Wendover’s other projects. There’s currently no timeline for when applications will open, but they will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
“I always call it a heart-hurting process,” Wolf said. “We know there are so many people that are in need and can really benefit from this housing.”
Though built on Universal-donated land, Catchlight Crossings isn’t exclusively reserved for Universal employees. The project is slated to be fully operational by 2029.
“Everyone has come together to make this happen,” Wolf said of the project. “When I say everyone, I mean Universal, Orange County, Wendover, and the myriad of financing sources that we had to bring, which were 14 different parties to make this a reality.”
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