County officials will soon weigh whether to allow a controversial affordable housing project to be built in east Gainesville after previously voting the project down last month.
If they don’t, the effects could be costly.
On Dec. 13, the Alachua County Commission voted 3-2 to withdraw its funding from the $25 million Dogwood Village housing project planned for the corner of Southeast Eighth Avenue and Southeast 15th Street in Gainesville. The commission also sought a new location for the 96-unit workforce housing complex but have been unable to do so.
Commissioners will discuss the project once more Tuesday after being warned by the developer that taxpayers would be on the hook for roughly $15 million if the original plans don’t go through.
“There’s been lots of promises of development in east Gainesville … and we need to start to see those projects come to fruition so the residents can see we’re serious,” said Commissioner Anna Prizzia.
Earlier coverage:Gainesville leaders take aim at county’s reversal on affordable housing project
Earlier coverage:County seeks permission to move $25 million affordable housing project in east Gainesville
Over the past few years, Gainesville and Alachua County elected leaders agreed to eliminate boundaries of its Community Redevelopment Agency in hope of spurring more development in east Gainesville. An affordable housing trust fund was established and the recently passed Wild Spaces Public Places ballot referendum also included affordable housing as an allowable expense.
Residents, however, have spoken out against nearly every affordable housing plan brought forward by city and county leaders despite being faced with a housing crisis that has exacerbated rental and homeowner prices − an issue also felt nationwide.
County officials argue this project is different and are working to change the narrative of what affordable housing looks like.
“People are always afraid of what they don’t know, and the unknown can be unsettling,” Prizzia said.
Having a workforce housing component means that middle-income residents would have more options in east Gainesville. They otherwise would be looking westward, where they have been priced out of the housing market. It would also place them directly next to the city’s Heartwood single-family housing development.
The added incomes and population density could entice additional businesses to open shop in east Gainesville, something residents and officials have largely unanimously argued for decades is badly needed.
Some residents who spoke out against the project asked why the county would consider “low-income” housing in an area that lacks reliable transportation, grocery stores and health care.
That section of town, however, has seen subtle changes over the years, with more expected. Gainesville officials recently struck an agreement with University of Florida Health to build a neighborhood urgent care facility nearby. They also approved a transfer of land from UF to the city so that it could build an already-funded transit station a few blocks away.
The location is also along several transit routes and, unlike most east Gainesville neighborhoods, is conveniently located within 2 miles of three different grocery chains, several banks and pharmacies.
One of those who sided with the outspoken residents was Commissioner Ken Cornell, who said 85% of affordable housing was already located in east Gainesville.
But data provided by the University of Florida’s Shimberg Center shows only 65% of affordable housing is located on the east side, with 35% in the west. The data is further off when looking countywide, showing just 46% of affordable housing is in eastern Alachua County.
Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler, who previously voted against the project, said that she wanted to make sure that the county exhausted all efforts to look at alternative solutions while also empowering the voices of community members and being attentive to their concerns.
She said that if the project comes back for a vote that she will have more information available to make an educated decision.
“This is an important decision to be made for our county,” she said.
Where does the money come from?
Funding for the project is mostly coming from a highly competitive $15 million grant from the Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC) program. That money was given to Ability Housing, a statewide leader in building affordable homes. Another $460,000 was to be evenly split through a local match from Alachua County government and the county’s housing finance authority.
Following the county’s vote to withdraw its support and failing to find another allowable location for the project, Ability Housing sent a letter to the county saying that the FHFC has given the group until Jan. 27 to decide whether to move forward with the plans. If not, the money must be returned and the county would be added to a list of ineligible recipients for similar funding for the next couple years.
Ability Housing also suggested that the county would be on the hook for $15 million − funds it says were expended on the planning of the project so far. That figure, however, could be up for debate.
Because the project is funded with public dollars, Prizzia said, locals have more of a say in the process of what gets built.
The zoning for the land currently allows for a developer to build up to 200 units on the property.
City commissioners previously expressed their disapproval of county officials rejecting the plan, with some calling it “irresponsible” and “heartless” for removing a housing option for up to 300 people.
The County Commission will discuss the issue at its Tuesday regular meeting at 5 p.m. at county administration building’s Jack Durrance board room, located at 12 SE First St. in Gainesville.
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