JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The old site of Lake Forest Elementary will soon be the home of 120 affordable housing units and an on-site early learning center.
It’s a partnership with Ability Housing, a nonprofit developer, Duval County Public Schools, the city of Jacksonville and several other organizations.
“To see a building that was closed and it was a community hub and we get to continue to make it a community hub but in a different way,” Reggie Fullwood, the CEO of Ability Housing, said.
It’s unique because 25 percent of that housing will be set aside for Duval County Public Schools faculty and staff to help with retention.
Fullwood says it’s been a team effort to fund the 46-million-dollar project.
“Bank of America, National Equity Fund, the city of Jacksonville played a significant role, community foundation LIHTC,” Fullwood said.
District 10 Councilwoman Ju’Coby Pittman, in attendance Wednesday, says this is a long-awaited project and needed for the north side of Jacksonville. She says through listening sessions with residents, this redevelopment aligns with what the community said they wanted.
“I am unapologetic to say I’m excited about the commitment that is made to this community. Because just like we represent other communities in doing affordable housing, affordable housing needs to be done in this district. And that’s 7, 8, 9 and 10,” Pittman said.
To qualify to live here, households will need to earn up to 60% of the area’s median income. 23 units will be set aside for families that earn 80% of the area’s median income. Ability Housing says based on 2025 data from HUD, a four-person household earning up to $61,500 could potentially qualify at the 60 percent AMI level, or up to $82,000 at the 80 percent AMI level.
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan says there is a large need for affordable housing in the city.
“People are really frantic for more affordable housing. We’re minus about 50,000 units from what we really need,” Deegan said.
A University of North Florida study on the affordable rental housing crisis in Jacksonville says in 2019, about 47 percent of renters here are cost-burdened. That means the cost of rent takes up more than 30 percent of their income. About 23 percent are what the study calls severely cost-burdened. Rent takes more than half of their income.
“Marketplace housing we’re doing pretty good. Where we’re lacking is in that range. That 60 to 80 percent AMI. That’s where the dearth is, so we need to make sure that’s where we’re laser-focused in trying to create that housing for people who need it,” Deegan said.
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