Heartless. Offensive. Unimaginable. Disappointing. Irresponsible. Unconscionable.
Those are just some of the choice words Gainesville commissioners used to describe their thoughts on their county counterparts’ decision to pull out of a $25 million affordable housing project planned in east Gainesville.
On Dec. 13, the Alachua County Commission voted 3-2 to withdraw its funding from the Dogwood Village project that was planned for the corner of Southeast Eighth Avenue and Southeast 15th Street, next to Lincoln Middle School. After listening to public outcry over the plans, county leaders agreed it should be moved more westward, citing that roughly 85% of affordable housing was already located in east Gainesville.
But that’s not how city leaders see it.
“It was disappointing to see hundreds of people from getting a home,” Commissioner Adrian Hayes-Santos said. “That’s what the county decided to do.”
More:County seeks permission to move $25 million affordable housing project in east Gainesville
More:County votes to withdraw support for affordable housing project in east Gainesville
The 96-unit housing project was being spearheaded by the Jacksonville-based nonprofit Ability Housing, which purchased the roughly 6.3 acres for $1.8 million, conveniently located next to the city of Gainesville’s Heartwood homes development. The project was intended to provide workforce housing for those who cannot afford market rates.
The bulk of the funding for the project came in the form of a highly competitive $15 million grant given to Ability Housing from the selective Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC) program. Another $460,000 was to be evenly split through a local match from Alachua County government and the county’s housing finance authority.
Those who showed up to the county meeting Tuesday overwhelmingly spoke against the project, with some asking officials why they would place low-income housing in an area that lacks grocery stores, health care and reliable transportation.
The part of town, however, is in the midst of seeing − and will see − vast changes over the coming years. Aside from the Heartwood development, city officials recently struck an agreement with University of Florida Health to build a neighborhood urgent care facility nearby. 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. At Thursday’s meeting, the commission 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.
In a county letter sent to Ability Housing, county officials said they could not support the project for several factors, namely the concentration of poverty in one particular area, which they said went against Alachua County and city of Gainesville’s goals.
Hayes-Santos said while he agrees that an overconcentration of poverty is not good practice, he pointed to zoning changes that city officials recently passed to spread out affordable housing more equitably citywide. The most controversial change was the city’s passage of exclusionary zoning, which county officials expressed disapproval over.
City leaders speak out
Though county officials said they attempted to look for alternative sites that met the goals of the grant, they could not find any. In their letter, they vowed to work with Gainesville officials to potentially find a solution or for the city to buy the land.
Several Gainesville commissioners, however, expressed concern that they felt the letter implied that they will soon be involved in the project or willing to take it over.
“We do not have the funds,” Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut said.
Other commissioners were more direct with their frustration.
Outgoing Mayor Lauren Poe said the county should be proud of winning the grant, adding that the best path forward is for its government to move forward with its original plans.
“To think that a single city dollar would go to prevent affordable housing from being built is a misuse of public trust,” he said.
Commissioner David Arreola said he found the county decision “deeply offensive” and shameful, adding that he felt an obligation to speak out since the city had now been brought into the conversation.
“We’re going to start pulling funding for affordable housing now? Is that the future of the governments?” Arreola asked. “It’s heartless … This is reckless. This is irresponsible.”
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