ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The rapid growth and rising housing costs in St. Johns County are forcing workers and seniors to leave the area.
A new report showed that the county was short about 13,000 affordable housing units, leading to increased commuting and pressure on local infrastructure.
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Joseph Cone, assistant director for Health and Human Services, shared a new map highlighting successes his office has had with helping people purchase homes.
He said the county helped about 45 people with down payment assistance in the past year, primarily for those earning around $80,000 annually.
Cone explained the funding comes from the Sadowsky funds, with about $1.5 million to $2 million allocated last year to help address affordability.
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“Affordable housing in St. Johns County is always going to be a little bit of a challenge,” Cone said. “It would be great if we had this enormous amount of money to try to throw at those different projects, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
The St. Johns Housing Partnership reported that the county needs roughly 13,000 more affordable units. This shortage means many workers commute into the county daily but cannot afford to live in St. Johns County.
Bill Lazar of the St. Johns Housing Partnership highlighted the broader regional challenge across four counties, including Putnam, Clay, St. Johns and Flagler. His organization is working on projects like purchasing property in Green Cove Springs to keep housing affordable for seniors, as well as assisting with some home repairs.
Lazar also noted the rental market is dominated by investors who continue to raise rents.
“If we stay the course, you’re going to see it all across Florida,” Lazar said. “Either services are going to be truncated even more, or businesses are going to have to figure out how to pay people a living wage so they can live close enough to work.”
Other local efforts include Habitat for Humanity, which helps people purchase homes through sweat equity.
A report cited by the St. Johns Housing Partnership estimates 25,000 to 35,000 people commute in and out of the county daily.
County officials encourage those interested in down payment assistance to contact the Health and Human Services Department.