by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
It’s one of those times when the old question, “Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?” has an easy answer.
Kerri Stewart, executive director of the Jacksonville Housing Commission, told the Downtown Action Committee Monday morning that while the Commission has a variety of programs that can help people move into workforce housing Downtown, the current residential inventory doesn’t meet the criteria. She said the Commission has programs based on income that can provide assistance for multi-family rentals and single-family down payment and closing cost assistance, but properties that could qualify don’t yet exist.
“What we see Downtown is market-rate housing. There is nothing Downtown that meets the Housing Commission’s guidelines,” said Stewart.
She added that the City is working on developing the 200-unit Ashley Towers on Ashley Street to provide affordable workforce housing for students and considering another property near Shands Hospital for housing available exclusively to nurses.
The City is compiling a list of under-utilized, City-owned properties that might be candidates for workforce housing, according to Stewart.
“The properties sit in various departments’ inventories. The Planning Department will produce a map of all the properties,” she said.
Council member Suzanne Jenkins pointed out that some of the properties might have to be rezoned before the property could be be converted into housing.
Stewart said the Housing Commission is working with the General Counsel’s office to develop standards to regulate student-only housing and that the current standards the Commission applies to existing seniors-only housing is the model.
“With seniors housing, we can dictate that the housing remains affordable,” said Stewart.
Committee member Stephen Dare said he likes the idea of making assistance available to people like artists and restaurant employees who would like to work Downtown since the housing available today in the urban core is too expensive based on their incomes.
Downtown Vision, Inc. Executive Director Terry Lorince pointed out that renting an apartment Downtown currently averages $1.25 a square foot per month.
“No one who lives at 11 E. would work in a restaurant,” said Dare.
He suggested finding a way to make financial assistance available to, “People who don’t make a lot of money, but give something back to the community.”
Committee member Jim Bailey, who publishes the Financial News & Daily Record and Downtown This Week, asked if it would be possible to assist property owners who own smaller buildings to create another form of workforce housing. He suggested there might be a way to develop retail and office space on the ground floor with apartments for rent on the floors above.
Bailey said that showing Downtown stakeholders with commercial property how workforce housing might be an option for them could, “Change the focus from developers to property owners.”
Stewart said that while she isn’t sure if the regulations are currently in place to make small projects possible, “I’m going to take a look at it because that can make urban housing work.”
She then pointed out that it might be a challenge for Downtown housing with commercial tenants on the ground floor and residential rental units above to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Council member Jenkins also updated the committee on the bill she has filed to propose increasing the maximum time allowed on Downtown parking meters. Jenkins said she doesn’t expect the bill to pass as filed.
“Change always has controversy tied to it,” she said.