When Chelethia “Chelly” Helmes moved into her first apartment in 2002, rent was $500 a month. By 2022, that number had tripled, and the single mother from Orlando was struggling to keep up. Living paycheck to paycheck, she fell deeper into credit card debt while working hard to provide for her daughter, Alicia. Unfortunately, the dream of owning a home seemed impossible.
Then, everything changed.
Three years ago, Chelly and Alicia moved into a home made possible through Orange County’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund and Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando & Osceola County. Today, she no longer worries about rent increases or being forced to move…