JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As housing prices continue to climb, a local program is offering a different path to homeownership for residents priced out of the traditional market.
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The Jacksonville Community Land Trust is helping income-qualified buyers purchase homes at lower costs by separating ownership of the house from the land it sits on. The city retains ownership of the land, reducing the overall price of the home and making monthly payments more affordable.
For Jacksonville native Hobie Simmons, the opportunity turned what once felt impossible into reality.
“I love Jacksonville. It’s my home. It’s where I grew up,” Simmons said.
But like many first-time buyers, he never expected to actually own a home.
“You know, homeownership always felt out of reach,” Simmons said. “The traditional housing market is vast. It’s very difficult to navigate as well. Anything I could find within my price range was incredibly unaffordable or needed so much work done that it quickly became unaffordable.”
Simmons learned about the Jacksonville Community Land Trust after a friend handed him a brochure. At first, he wasn’t convinced.
“It seemed a little odd,” Simmons said. “I wasn’t too convinced about the community land trust, but I decided to take a leap and give them a call.”
The program launched in 2022 with the goal of keeping housing affordable as property values continue to rise across the city. Affordability is preserved through a 99-year renewable ground lease, ensuring long-term access to attainable homes.
Executive Director Robin Pfalzgraf said the idea was to prevent land costs from putting homeownership out of reach.
“So many of these properties are becoming too costly for average people to buy,” Pfalzgraf said.
The land trust is part of Jacksonville’s “First Look” ordinance, which allows the organization, along with city agencies and the Jacksonville City Council, to review and claim city-owned properties for housing development before they are declared surplus.
So far, the trust has secured about 50 properties through the program, all designated for affordable housing development.
Removing the cost of the land can make a significant difference.
“If you look at the average property being $20,000 to $30,000, we take that piece off right away,” Pfalzgraf said.
Under the model, homeowners still have full control over their houses even though the land trust retains ownership of the land.
“People have a hard time understanding that the land trust still retains ownership of the dirt,” Pfalzgraf said. “I always tell people to think of it like a townhouse or condominium. You don’t own the dirt it sits on, but you own your unit. Hobie owns his house.”
The home Simmons is purchasing has a true value of about $137,000. With down payment assistance from the city of Jacksonville, the amount financed dropped to roughly $115,000. His monthly payment is expected to be around $900 with a reduced interest rate.
Simmons said he couldn’t find anything comparable in the traditional market.
“Absolutely not,” he said. “Even if you look for apartments, they’re going to be well over a thousand dollars.”
Pfalzgraf said homes like Simmons’ could sell for closer to $200,000 on the open market.
“It’s not people that choose not to work,” she said. “It’s people that are helping us every day. We’re going to see them at work, or they’re delivering our packages, and they’re sleeping in their car. The land trust is a great way to combat that.”
Simmons hopes his story shows the model can work.
“This is not just about me,” he said. “It’s about showing that this is a proven model that helps build community and helps build stable futures.”
Simmons is expected to close on his home Friday.
The Jacksonville Community Land Trust also has three additional affordable homes expected to hit the market soon and is currently seeking qualified buyers who make below 80% of the area’s median income, which is around $57,000 a year. More information on how to apply is available here.