The 72-unit Verandas III opened and is fully occupied on Airport Road, marking the final phase in the redevelopment of the Punta Gorda Housing Authority’s public housing apartment homes that were lost during Hurricane Charley in 2004.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the four, three-story buildings with one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments is set for May 22.
The first redevelopment site, Gulf Breeze Apartments, was completed in 2008. The second and third phases, Verandas I and II, were completed in November 2017 and are for those 55 and older.
Officials touted the first two Verandas as luxurious senior living apartments with amenities including a community center with a range of activities. There is also a pool and a cyber cafe.
Designed to resemble Verandas I and Verandas II, the third complex also looks upscale and blends in with the surrounding community. The apartments for singles or families meeting the income requirement have open floor plans, granite countertops, Energy Star appliances and balconies or porches. The site also has a clubhouse, fitness center, business center and playground.
The complex offers an array of services, such as credit and home ownership counseling and enrichment opportunities, including education, job training and placement programs to promote self-sufficiency.
Tenants can enroll in the Resident Opportunity and Self Sufficiency program. “A case manager on staff will meet with folks to see what their needs are to get out of poverty,” said Kurt Pentelecuc, executive director of the Punta Gorda Housing Authority.
At Verandas III’s groundbreaking in January 2024, Pentelecuc said the number of affordable units falls short of what the county needs, as there were more than 800 applicants on a wait list at the time.
Since then, the lack of affordable and low-income and public housing has gotten worse after Charlotte County lost 30 low-income home apartments at Oak Tree Village in Port Charlotte, when Hurricane Milton destroyed the complex in October 2024, said county Human Services Senior Manager Colleen Turner.
“We need to be producing 10,000 units to catch up with the need,” Turner said.
There are some low-income housing projects in the works, but nowhere near enough to provide the number of housing units for low-income residents, she emphasized.
The Verandas III apartments are designated affordable housing for families with incomes at or less than 60% of the area median income. A housing report by Novogradac, an independent consulting firm that provides valuation services, shows the AMI for the Punta Gorda Metropolitan Statistical Area is $94,800.
Some Verandas III units receive subsidies to supplement the rental price, and the complex will accept vouchers from the Punta Gorda Housing Authority that operates the Public Housing program and manages about 500 Housing Choice vouchers for area landlords.
The Housing Choice Voucher program, also known as Section 8, is for low-income residents in Charlotte County and the city of North Port.
Funding for the project includes Charlotte County funds, city of Punta Gorda funds, a Viability Loan from Florida Housing Finance Corporation, PGHA funds and low-income housing tax credit equity and construction and permanent loans from Bank of America.
Turner said Verandas III is the first affordable housing development awarded funds from the Charlotte County Housing Trust Fund through the Charlotte Homes application process.
The Verandas developers are Newstar Development, Norstar Development USA and PGHA, managed by Norstar Accolade Property Management.
“The Verandas III is a great example of how quality affordable housing can help a community,” said Brian Evjen, president of Newstar Development. “We are proud to be the developer for the project, and working with the Punta Gorda Housing Authority has been an absolute pleasure for us.”
