JACKSONVILLE, Fla. —
The Jacksonville City Council is now considering a $5 million dollar buyout that would directly address the damage from Hurricane Irma in the Ken Knight Drive neighborhood.
Washington Heights was one of the hardest hit communities when Hurricane Irma struck in 2017.
Within Washington Heights is the Ken Night Drive Neighborhood, where many individuals and families are living at or below the poverty level, and the houses were built in the 1960′s or earlier.
The homes are well below the base flood evaluation, and very few, if any, properties are covered by flood insurance.
According to the bill, this buyout would reduce future public costs associated with evacuation and rescue, emergency shelter, temporary housing, home repairs, financial assistance and debris removal services following tropical cyclone and flooding events in the neighborhood.
This would also address the subsidized repair funds for the properties built within the 100-year floodplain that the taxpayers are repeatedly left with, according to the bill.
The buyout would remove residents from physical danger as well as the financial toll associated with future flooding events, and provide an opportunity for them to obtain alternative, affordable housing outside the floodplain.
The properties acquired through the program would be turned into green space.
A deed restriction would be placed on this area to prevent the building of any structures in the future.