Securing Affordable Housing

We all want a place where we can feel at home. A home is where we feel safe and secure. Yet for many in our city a safe, affordable home can be hard to find. 

Community members attending the September 21 dialogue spoke of substandard housing being rented out, urban blight, and a need to build more affordable housing.  They also noted the presence of empty houses and lots. Could these be repurposed to meet the need for affordable housing? 

Other communities have built coalitions to meet the need for affordable housing. Might we do that in St. Joe?  How could community members come together to access the funding that is available from private, state and federal sources?  Could tenant-owned cooperatives work in St. Joe?  

Saint Joe does have a Land Bank, which has moved slowly. In 2022 St. Joe also created an Urban Homestead Agency Board  and approved ARPA funds for “neighborhood revitalization.” The City began taking applications for use of those funds in March 2023. Specifically, lower income property owners can apply for up to $25,000 in home repairs. The Board is also authorized to acquire vacant residential properties that are either in violation of property maintenance codes or delinquent on taxes and market those to qualified city residents for ownership.   How might this board and the Land Bank work together with citizens to exercise their powers in ways that create  more affordable housing where needed?

This is an issue we could solve if all in the community worked together. Come help us better understand the where, what, who, and why of the need for more affordable housing and explore how that need might be met. Join the discussion on October 19!