ORLANDO, Fla. — It has been one year since Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico, not only impacting the island, but also Central Florida.

• More than 300,000 from Puerto Rico came to Florida after Maria
• Many families are still trying to find affordable housing

In fact, more than 370,000 Puerto Ricans have traveled to Florida since the storm hit, many of them deciding to stay here.

One year later, Florida's newest residents are still facing several challenges, the biggest being able to find affordable housing.

That is where the Heart of Florida United Way has stepped in and helped Puerto Ricans find housing, like apartment complexes.

For months, many stayed in motel rooms, unable to find housing. A report from last year, before evacuees started arriving here, found Central Florida had a shortage of close to 75,000 affordable housing units.

United Way tried to help as they assisted more than a 1,000 people by providing emergency housing assistance through FEMA's transitional shelter assistance program, but that program ended last week.

"We identified a lot of the families that were coming in. They were finding jobs and they were able to have sustainable income, but they were not being able to retain a place to live once they would find it because they couldn't pay the deposits and all the fees that they get charged to," said Delitza Fernandez of the Heart of Florida United Way.

A new housing assistance program from United Way offers to pay those initial deposits and first month's rent to get families off on the right foot.

So far, the organization has been able to help 80 families, with volunteers helping them set up their new home.