A new 182-unit apartment complex in Bradenton is taking a different approach to the affordable housing crisis, and for at least one mother, it is already changing her life.On June 5, The Nest at Robin's Apartments held its grand opening, drawing cheers and tears from residents and community leaders. The complex was designed from the start to keep rent within reach for working families, with average rents about 17% below market rate, including utilities, saving residents more than $3,000 per year."You can't beat this. This is $1,735. All utilities are included. This makes it a livable wage," new resident Tasha Harris said.Harris is moving from a studio apartment into a two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit. For the first time, her 10-year-old daughter, Jasmine, will have her own room.What does this do for you as a mother? Tampa Bay 28 reporter Michael Paluska asked."Oh, this brings so much peace to my heart, knowing my daughter has a space of her own, not something we all have to share. It's just a lot. I'm sorry, it's a lot. It's been a rough seven years, but we finally did it," Harris said.The project is the work of One Stop Housing, led by Managing Partner Mark Vengroff, who is carrying forward his father's decades-long vision of providing safe and affordable housing. Vengroff said the key to keeping costs down is controlling the entire construction process in-house."Everything is all in-house. It cuts the middlemen, takes out all the excess," Vengroff said.In January, Paluska first reported on the work of One Stop Housing.The entire building is constructed of concrete block, making it more resilient to hurricanes while also reducing operating costs, which are passed directly to renters.When the project was first announced, demand was immediate. Within five weeks of posting, approximately 450 families signed up.Half of the units at The Nest at Robin's Apartments are reserved for what Vengroff calls hometown heroes."You are going to have hometown heroes living next to you, first responders, school teachers. I mean, they're all taking up about half of the units, so you're in really good company," Vengroff said.Vengroff said the emotional response from residents like Harris reinforces why the project matters."It's amazing. When I found out that she's moving into a two-bedroom, it's pretty cool," Vengroff said.Manatee County Commissioner Amanda Ballard said the project succeeds because it balances financial sustainability with a genuine commitment to the community."Not putting profit above everything else. It's got to be that profit motive in conjunction with a real commitment to our community, and that's what makes the difference on projects like this," Ballard said.Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown said the complex represents the kind of support working families need."You're giving people that hand up, and you know, not a hand out," Brown said.The model is already attracting interest from other organizations. Goodwill Manasota has signed on as an investor in One Stop Housing's next project, Forest Cove, securing affordable housing for its own workforce."It's challenging right now. So you know, we're actually an investor in Mark's next one of his future projects, Forest Cove, where we've secured housing for up to 26 of our team members each year at below market rates, which is fantastic," Goodwill Manasota President and CEO Donn Githens said. ...read more read less