Executives Build Affordable Homes for Central Florida Families

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla., Oct. 15, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- In an effort to highlight the pressing need for affordable housing in Central Florida, 19 executives from Habitat for Humanity Seminole-Apopka recently took to the construction site for Habitat's Executive Build 2026. The event, held on World Habitat Day, saw these business leaders swap their boardrooms for hard hats, working alongside Habitat staff to install windows and Tyvek® house wrap on two homes at Legacy Square, the organization's newest community in Sanford.

The work at Legacy Square is part of Habitat's flagship annual fundraising event, which aims to raise awareness and funds for affordable homeownership. The homes at Legacy Square will be 19 energy-efficient, single-family homes developed in collaboration with community partners. The day also included remarks from Habitat CEO Penny Seater, Board Chair David Johnson, title sponsor Erik Sankey of Waste Pro, and Executive Build Chairman Jay Zembower.

The need for affordable housing in Central Florida is significant. Sixty-two percent of renters in the region are cost-burdened, spending more than 35% of their income on housing. A two-bedroom rental at the 2026 HUD fair market rent of $2,254 a month requires about $90,160 a year, or $43.35 an hour for one full-time worker. The median home price of about $419,000 is more than five times the median household income.

Habitat for Humanity Seminole-Apopka, as a Top 50 Habitat home producer nationwide, is working to bridge this gap by building and developing homes with payments that can be about half of a homebuyer's prior rent. The organization has been creating generational stability by making homeownership possible across Central Florida for over 35 years. Through financial support, volunteer participation, and business partnerships, Habitat constructs and develops affordable homes that are sold to families with low-to-moderate incomes at no profit, and financed with modest mortgages. Homebuyers invest in their futures by completing financial education and helping to build their own homes as well as those of other families through earned "sweat equity" hours.

The executives who participated in the Executive Build 2026 came to the site because the need for affordable housing is pressing. Habitat exists to change the story for families who care for us, teach our children, and keep us safe, but who cannot afford a two-bedroom rental, let alone a down payment or a dream. With partners like the leaders who picked up tools today, Habitat has grown from building homes to building whole communities, and they walk with families long after the keys are handed over.