POSTED BOND. THIS HOLIDAY SEASON IS BRINGING A LARGE AND SPECIAL HELPING OF CHEER TO AN ORLANDO FAMILY THAT’S SEEING THEIR HOME TRANSFORMED AS WESH 2’S GREG FOX SHOWS US, IT’S MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH A HOUSING REHAB PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES MONEY TO THOSE MOST IN NEED TO BREATHE SOME NEW LIFE INTO AGING HOMES. THIS IS FROM OUR HURRICANE. YEAH, THIS WAS DURING THE HURRICANE. THERE WAS SOME DAMAGE BACK HERE IN THE AREA, AND THEN THE WATER JUST KIND OF WOULD FALL OFF THE ROOF AND GET IT WOULD JUST SOAK UP HERE. LEAKY CEILINGS, MOLDY CRACKED WALLS. AND THIS IS THE MOLD THAT THEY’RE THEY’RE GOING TO PUT NEW DRYWALL HERE. DRAINS THAT CONSTANTLY BACK UP. AND THE NEED FOR AN ADA ACCESSIBLE BATHROOM FOR ONE OF HER THREE SONS. AND ALSO IN THE TUB TO SUPPORT RAILINGS. JULIET HARRELL’S HOME FOR FIVE IN DIRE NEED OF REPAIRS, JULIET AND HER FAMILY COULDN’T AFFORD TO DO ALL OF THIS WORK ON THEIR HOUSE, INCLUDING PAINTING THE OUTSIDE, REPLACING SOME OF THE WINDOWS, SO THEY APPLIED FOR MONEY FROM THE CITY OF ORLANDO’S HOUSING REHAB PROGRAM. YEAH, YOU CAN DO THE APPLICATION ONLINE. IT DIDN’T TAKE A LOT OF TIME. AND THEN JUST MAKING SURE YOU GET THE PROPER DOCUMENTATION AND PAPERWORK. THAT PAPERWORK INCLUDES MEETING INCOME ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES AND MAKING SURE THAT MORTGAGE PAYMENTS ARE CURRENT AND THERE ARE NO LIENS ON THE PROPERTY. IT TOOK MORE THAN A YEAR, BUT THIS MONTH, JULIET WAS THRILLED TO SEE DEMOLITION ON THE INSIDE, DELIVERY OF ROOFING, SHINGLES AND OTHER BUILDING MATERIALS, A STORAGE UNIT TO HOLD THE HOME’S CONTENTS, AND THE START OF HER HOME’S RENOVATION. I WAS JUST HAPPY BECAUSE I’M LIKE, OH, IT’S FINALLY HAPPENING. I’M LIKE, NO MORE LEAKY ROOF, NO MORE, YOU KNOW, ISSUES WITH THE TOILETS. SO I’M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. YEAH. JULIET RECEIVED ROUGHLY $96,000 FROM THE CITY, BUT AMOUNTS CAN VARY DEPENDING ON NEED. THE REHAB PROGRAM USES MONEY FROM THE STATE HOUSING INITIATIVES PARTNERSHIP OR SCHIP. ORLANDO RECEIVED $3 MILLION AND PROVIDES A MAXIMUM PER HOME OF $100,000, 35 HOMEOWNERS SO FAR ARE BEING HELPED. YOU CAN RECEIVE UP TO $20,000, WITH NO REQUIREMENT TO KEEP YOUR HOME FUNDING ABOVE 20,000 TO $45,000 REQUIRES YOU TO LIVE IN THE HOUSE FOR TEN YEARS, AND FOR OVER 45,015 YEARS, WHICH IS FINE WITH JULIET. SHE CALLS THIS HER FOREVER HOME. YES, IT’S GOING TO BE A PRETTY GOOD THANKSGIVING. IT’S NOT GOING TO BE HERE. I MEAN, WE CAN STILL USE THE KITCHEN, BUT I’M SURE WITH ALL THE DUST AND DEBRIS, WE’RE NOT GOING TO WANT TO COOK IN THIS SPACE. BUT YES, I’M HOPING WE’LL BE BACK IN HERE BY CHRISTMAS AND WE’LL HAVE OUR TREE UP. IF NOT, I’M ALSO THANKFUL, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEW YEAR, A NEW YEAR HER FAMILY HOPES WILL BE THE BEST YEAR COVERING ORANGE COUNTY IN ORLANDO, GREG FOX. WESH TWO NEWS. ORLANDO. HOUSING REHAB MONEY IS STILL AVAILABLE. YOU CAN CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ACROSS THE REGION
Orlando family transforms home with housing rehab program
Updated: 7:17 PM EST Nov 27, 2025
Leaky ceilings, moldy and cracked walls, poor plumbing with drains that constantly back up, and a home for five that is in dire need of repair. Welcome to Juliette Harrrell’s world.She was desperate for a way to make her Orlando home safer and more livable. She and her husband couldn’t afford all of the work required, including repainting the outside of the house and replacing some of the windows. So they applied for money from the city of Orlando’s housing rehab program. Harrell told WESH 2 News it wasn’t difficult, adding, “You can do the application online. It didn’t take a lot of time, and then just making sure you get the proper documentation and paperwork.”That paperwork includes meeting income eligibility guidelines and making sure that mortgage payments are current, and there are no liens on the property. It took more than a year, but this month, Juliette was thrilled to see demolition on the inside, delivery of roofing shingles and other building materials, and a storage unit to hold the home’s contents during her home’s renovation. She added, “I was just happy because I was like, oh my gosh, it’s really happening. No more leaky roof. Not more issues with the toilets, so I’m really excited about that, yeah.”Juliette received roughly $96,000 ($96,054), but amounts can vary depending on need. The rehab program uses money from the State Housing Initiatives Partnership, or SHIP.Orlando received $3 million and provides a maximum per home of $100,000. So far, 35 homeowners have been helped, according to a spokesperson for Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. Homeowners can receive up to $20,000 with no required residency in their homes at the conclusion of the renovation. Funding above $20,000 to $45,000 requires owners to live in their houses for 10 years, and for over $45,000, 15 years, which is fine with Juliette. She calls this her “forever home”… something she’s most thankful for this holiday season. She said, “It’s going to be a pretty good Thanksgiving. It’s not going to be here. I mean, we could use the kitchen, but I’m sure with all of the dust, we’re not going to want to cook in this place. But I’m hoping we’ll be back in here by Christmas and we’ll have our tree up. If not, I’m also thankful in the New Year.”It’s a New Year, her family hopes, will be the best year. The city of Orlando still has Orlando Housing Rehab funding available and can assist in the application process.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
Leaky ceilings, moldy and cracked walls, poor plumbing with drains that constantly back up, and a home for five that is in dire need of repair. Welcome to Juliette Harrrell’s world.
She was desperate for a way to make her Orlando home safer and more livable.
She and her husband couldn’t afford all of the work required, including repainting the outside of the house and replacing some of the windows.
So they applied for money from the city of Orlando’s housing rehab program. Harrell told WESH 2 News it wasn’t difficult, adding, “You can do the application online. It didn’t take a lot of time, and then just making sure you get the proper documentation and paperwork.”
That paperwork includes meeting income eligibility guidelines and making sure that mortgage payments are current, and there are no liens on the property.
It took more than a year, but this month, Juliette was thrilled to see demolition on the inside, delivery of roofing shingles and other building materials, and a storage unit to hold the home’s contents during her home’s renovation.
She added, “I was just happy because I was like, oh my gosh, it’s really happening. No more leaky roof. Not more issues with the toilets, so I’m really excited about that, yeah.”
Juliette received roughly $96,000 ($96,054), but amounts can vary depending on need. The rehab program uses money from the State Housing Initiatives Partnership, or SHIP.
Orlando received $3 million and provides a maximum per home of $100,000. So far, 35 homeowners have been helped, according to a spokesperson for Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.
Homeowners can receive up to $20,000 with no required residency in their homes at the conclusion of the renovation.
Funding above $20,000 to $45,000 requires owners to live in their houses for 10 years, and for over $45,000, 15 years, which is fine with Juliette.
She calls this her “forever home”… something she’s most thankful for this holiday season.
She said, “It’s going to be a pretty good Thanksgiving. It’s not going to be here. I mean, we could use the kitchen, but I’m sure with all of the dust, we’re not going to want to cook in this place. But I’m hoping we’ll be back in here by Christmas and we’ll have our tree up. If not, I’m also thankful in the New Year.”
It’s a New Year, her family hopes, will be the best year.
The city of Orlando still has Orlando Housing Rehab funding available and can assist in the application process.