21500 Gibraltar Drive, Port Charlotte, FL 33952 | 
941-289-7628
About Us
Who is PORCH?
Our Mission
To advocate for the development and construction of safe, functional, affordable, and sustainable housing for SW Florida residents.
The Problem
In our community, housing insecurity is a reality in a place where average wages can’t keep pace with rising housing costs. Too many people are forced to pay more than 30% if their income on housing, leaving little money for other necessities such as food, clothing, transportation, and education OR they find themselves homeless. Independent studies indicate that just in Charlotte County more than 10,000 additional housing units are needed by 2025 to keep up with the growing population and 5,553 of those units should be for those earning less than 80% of the area median income.
The Solution
PORCH envisions a day, when safe, affordable housing is available to all economically disadvantaged SW Florida populations, including disabled Veterans, the underemployed, the homeless, and those with special needs. Housing would be available at reasonable rates, such that our residents are encouraged to remain in our community and live as productive, contributing citizens.
The Plan
PORCH takes a community leadership role in convening organizations throughout the region and calling attention to the needs for affordable housing, while facilitating cross-organization solutions. PORCH also operates as a Community Land Trust, focused on tackling our community’s affordable housing shortage, one rental at a time. PORCH builds, acquires, and renovates properties to be used as rental homes and makes those properties available for low-income families and individuals with special needs. Affordability will be maintained, as rents will not exceed 30% of the household’s income. As a land trust, PORCH will ensure affordability in perpetuity (99+ years).
WHAT DOES PORCH STAND FOR?
PORCH stands for Peace River Community Housing Partners.
WHAT DOES PORCH DO?
PORCH is dedicated to the development of safe, functional, affordable, and sustainable housing. The or ganization’s current strategic priority is the development of affordable rental housing for Veterans.
501(C)3
PORCH is a 501(c)3 Community Land Trust which is currently run 100% by volunteers. Because PORCH is a Community Land Trust, the term of affordability on PORCH properties is perpetuity (99+ years). A Community Land Trust provides lasting community assets and permanently affordable housing opportunities for families and communities. The heart of PORCH’s work as a community land trust is the creation of homes that will remain permanently affordable for generations of lower income families.
Why Partner with PORCH?
A Donor’s Perspective
It’s no secret that Floridians are currently dealing with a major housing problem, leaving many low-income families to scrape and struggle to find an affordable home. Victims of this crisis include low-income veterans who served their country bravely. Now, it’s our turn. Integrity Employee Leasing serves those in need by supporting various nonprofit organizations who have a positive impact on our local communities. After witnessing the genuine passion and determination of PORCH, Integrity was thrilled to contribute to a flooring project for a veteran in need of assistance. Partnering with this organization was a no-brainer!
Our Board
Angela Hogan
President
CEO / Gulf Coast Partnership
Geri Waksler
Vice President
Attorney
Ashley Maher
Owner
The Piece Missing
Brittney Johnson
President
Gulf Designs Inc.
Miki Matrullo
Broker
Home MatchMaking Realty
Mike Mansfield
CEO
Charlotte County Habitat for Humanity
Jaha Cummings
Board Member
PORCH
Mitchell Austin
Principal Planner
City of Punta Gorda
Denise Dull
Director of Operations & Marketing - Staff
PORCH
Angela Hogan
President
CEO / Gulf Coast Partnership
Angela Hogan is the CEO of the Gulf Coast Partnership (FL-602). Angela’s focus is on guiding strategic planning and capacity building to better serve our community’s most vulnerable populations. In 2021 the Gulf Coast Partnership was one of 33 community’s nationwide selected to participate in the HUD’s YHDP which will bring Charlotte County the resources to build a system to end youth homelessness. Angela is passionate about making system-wide change through starting or supporting projects that raise the community’s capacity to help people in crisis.
Angela is a proud graduate of Norwich University in Northfield Vermont with degrees in Social Psychology and Cultural Anthropology. Angela has served as CEO/ED of non-profit or government agencies for the majority of her 30+ year career including Mental Health, Substance Use, Literacy, Homelessness, and Child Welfare Organizations. Angela currently serves on Local Boards for FEMA-EFSP, Affordable Housing, Community Action, and Disaster Response.
Geri L. Waksler
Vice President
Attorney
Geri Waksler has been a land use attorney for over 30 years. She represents developers and assists them in obtaining permits and approvals from local governments and state agencies. Geri is the current Board Vice President of PORCH and has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2020. Throughout her career, Ms. Waksler has assisted affordable housing developers with site selection, comprehensive plan amendments, rezonings and funding. Most recently, she prepared a response to a Charlotte County, Florida Request for Proposals that resulted in her client being awarded the right to develop a 600-unit affordable housing community on land to be donated by the County. She also representes the Punta Gorda Housing Authority.
The PORCH Board is the latest of the multiple local boards on which Ms. Waksler has served. She is a past President of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Charlotte County, the Charlotte Local Education Foundation, and the Charlotte County Economic Development Partnership and is currently serving as Co-Chair of the Women United Leadership Council, a Charlotte County United Way affinity group which focuses on family empowerment within the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) community. In addition to her board work, Ms. Waksler has mentored four high school students in the Take Stock in Children program. She is a graduate of both Leadership Charlotte and Leadership Florida. In 2013, Ms. Waksler received a President’s Volunteer Service Award from Barack Obama in recognition of her volunteer efforts.
Ashley Maher
Owner
The Piece Missing
Ashley Maher has served in the philanthropic industry for the last 15 years. Currently Maher owns an independent consulting firm, The Piece Missing which is positioned to assist nonprofits with their strategic focus and growth. Prior to the Piece Missing, Maher served as the Chief Executive Officer for the Charlotte Community Foundation from 2017-2023. Maher has dedicated her work and focus to finding attainable housing solutions for residents of the community she serves. Prior to her tenure with the Charlotte Community Foundation, Maher spent 6 years with the Charlotte County Homeless Coalition in multiple roles that all had a focus on finding opportunities for vulnerable populations.
In addition to serving since 2020 on the PORCH Board, Ms. Maher has also served as Vice Chair for Fawcett Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees, and Secretary for Collier County Citizens Corp. Previous volunteer experience has been as a Gulf Coast Partnership Board Member, Gulf Coast Partnership Stakeholder, Charlotte County Community Organizations Active in Disaster founding member, Charlotte County Long-Term Recovery Committee Member, Fred Lang Foundation Board Member, OCEAN Board Member, Babcock Neighborhood Schools Advisory Member, United Way of Charlotte County Board Member, Charlotte Technical College Board Member, Charlotte Economic Development Partnership Board Member and Edison Universe Board of Trustee.
Brittney Johnson
President
Gulf Designs Inc.
Brittney Johnson has served on the Board of Habitat for Humanity since 2017 and has been a member of the PORCH board since 2021. Her passion lies in addressing the critical need for affordable housing within our community. Brittney leverages her background as a licensed Professional Engineer in her dedication in developing sustainable and innovative solutions in making housing more accessible to all residents in Southwest Florida.
Throughout her tenure on these boards, she has been deeply committed to advancing initiatives that prioritize affordable housing. By collaborating with community partners and stakeholders, she addresses the pressing need for safe and affordable homes, ensuring that everyone has access to housing that meets their needs. Her vision is centered around creating a more inclusive and equitable community, where individuals and families of all backgrounds have the opportunity to thrive. Her strength is in strategic planning and advocacy, and Brittney is dedicated to making affordable housing a reality for those who need it most, ultimately enhancing the overall well-being and stability of our community.
Miki Matrullo
Broker
Home MatchMaking Realty
Miki Matrullo is a newly added PORCH Board member and local realtor with a passion for philanthropy and going out of her way to find her clients just the right place to call home. She makes sure that the experience is unique to each situation and that she is up to date and familiar with current mortgage and down payment assistance programs for first time home buyers. Ms. Matrullo is also very active with Habitat for Humanity, volunteering hours on many building projects. She has a flair for creative and organizational skills and serves as the chair of PORCH’s marketing & donor development committee.
Mike Mansfield
CEO
Charlotte County Habitat for Humanity
Mike Mansfield has been the CEO Charlotte County Habitat for Humanity since July of 2007. Prior to his coming to Charlotte County and obtaining the spot with the local Habitat for Humanity, Mike was the V.P. of Development and Communications for Lee and Hendry County Habitat for Humanity. Mike held that position for almost four years, from March of 2003 until leaving in July of 2007. Mike not only holds local leadership positions within Habitat, but also holds a seat at the state Board of Directors as well serving from 2009-2012 and again from 2018-2023. During the 2018-2023 term he also held the position of Vice Chair in 2020 and Board Chair from 2021-2023. In addition to being a PORCH Board member since 2023, Mike has also a been a member of the Charlotte County Affordable Housing Advisory Committee since 2008, serving as Vice-Chair for over ten plus years.
Jaha Cummings
Board Member
PORCH
Jaha Cummings is a global growth advisor with expertise in public-private partnerships in real estate, healthcare, and energy. Mr. Cummings founded the Blanchard House Institute, focused on developing the Black Wall Street Trail and Seminole Maroon Freedom Trail, and is an inaugural fellow of New America’s Us@250 Initiative. With two decades of experience in Asia, Cummings has consulted for governments and executives on strategic development. He also boasts 19 years in publishing and media, represented at the Venice and Cannes film festivals. Politically, he has served as a Punta Gorda City Councilman for three terms, engaged in regional planning, tourism development, and was part of the Governor’s Task Force on Abandoned African American Cemeteries in Florida, and currently serves on the Florida Freight Advisory Committee, Florida Department of Transportation.
Mr. Cummings has been giving of his time as a PORCH Board member since 2019 and has also provided thought leadership to the Sovereign Wealth Trust Institute and Urban Land Institute. Jaha holds FINRA Series 82 and NASAA Series 63 Registrations. He is a commercial real estate practitioner and investment banker. He currently serves as the Disaster Recovery Coordinator for Southwest Florida with the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council and is a graduate of Dartmouth College.
Mitchell Austin
Principal Planner
City of Punta Gorda
In addition to serving as a newly appointed Board Member for PORCH, Mitchell Austin is an AICP professional land use planner with 20 years of experience in Southwest Florida. Mitchell is currently the Urban Design Manager (planning and capital projects), for the City of Punta Gorda, Florida, where since August 16, 2004, he has focused on the art and science of urban place-making in a small town setting. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Mitchell graduated from Georgia Tech with a Bachelor of Science from the College of Architecture (2002) and a Master of Public Administration from Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, Florida (2014). Housing affordability is integral to all aspects of urban planning including work on hurricane recovery, hazard mitigation, historic preservation, long range planning, zoning, transportation planning, and public capital improvement design, Mitchell has assisted Punta Gorda in becoming an ever-better place to live, work, and visit. In addition to his work at the city, Mitchell is also active in professional planning organizations in Southwest Florida including Urban Land Institute (ULI), Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU), and Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA).
Denise Dull
Director of Operations & Marketing – Staff
PORCH
Prior to Denise becoming the first paid staff hire for PORCH, she had already taken on a majority of the day-to-day operational responsibilities of PORCH in addition to her role as Director of Landlord Engagement at the Gulf Coast Partnership. Denise was performing the tenant application and lease functions, working with agencies to coordinate housing inspections and move in and keeping all maintenance and repair records and tasks in order. Denise worked with Charlotte County to obtain SHIP
funding to complete upgrades and repairs after Hurricane Ian and ensure that tenant records were maintained accurately. She coordinated all marketing, social media and website work and helped to facilitate donor engagement. Denise obtained her certification in grant writing and is a certified HCV Home Inspector. Since being hired in 2023, she continues these functions and all other day to day operations of PORCH. She has attended the Lily School of Philanthropy’s Principle’s & Techniques of Fundraising Course and obtained PORCH’s online coursework certification through Florida Housing Coalition. She is a founding member of the Charlotte Desoto Building Association’s Professional Women in Building Chapter and regularly attends the monthly meetings of Charlotte County’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. Denise is also an active participant in the Affordable Housing Committee at the Collaboratory sitting on both the ADU Pilot Project Team and the Policy Encouragement Project Team.