St. Johns County: Attainable housing is a priority, nonprofits promise more homes to come

There has been a housing boom in St. Johns County — but most of the new homes are not affordable for the middle class, according to a workforce housing study the county conducted.

St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce President Isabelle Renault said what the county is experiencing isn’t that different from the rest of the state, with workforce housing becoming less available everywhere.

“Our essential workers — teachers and health care employees, law enforcement and firefighters — are highly impacted,” Renault said. “They are the cornerstones of our community. We have to keep people safe and healthy and educated, and those essential workers are having a hard time finding a place to live in our community.”

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The Chamber of Commerce formed an Attainable Housing Coalition about a year and a half ago to include community members and businesses in finding sustainable answers to these housing issues.

The coalition also includes tourism and hospitality workers as essential since the industry is so large in the county.

Renault said not having enough workforce housing nearby means those essential workers have to commute every day, putting stress on them and their families as well as on traffic and roads.

“Often, they end up trying to find a job closer to where they live and then we lose them because it’s too much of a drive,” she said.

Median rental prices are becoming less affordable as well. The report showed the average prices in the area are $1,623 for a one-bedroom, $1,795 for a two-bedroom, $2,290 for a three-bedroom and $2,823 for a four-bedroom.

The report noted: “Only 3% of available rental units are priced in the affordability range of $1,000-$1,500 for two of the essential worker occupations.”

Currently, there are 16 multi-family rental apartment complexes listed on the St. Johns County website, but those buildings don’t necessarily have vacancies.

But some nonprofits are working with the county to increase the number of options.

Community members entreat more affordable housing

Dominium, a national real estate company that owns, develops and manages over 38,000 homes across the U.S., is a leading company in the affordable apartment space.

Dominium operates about 230 sites in nearly half of all U.S. states and could soon have a presence in St. Johns County with Preserve at Wards Creek.

Katessa Archer, senior development associate for the Southeast Region at Dominium, said the company would take about 24 months to construct the apartments after approval, including 12-18 months for planning and financial contracts that should be finalized in early 2024.

Dominium announced in January the expansion and restructuring of Oaks at St. John, a 160-unit multifamily property in Ponte Vedra Beach which it acquired in August 2021.

Dominium will renew the property’s affordable housing status while beginning a $5.5 million rehabilitation of the property, according to Archer.

Resident homes will receive new plumbing fixtures, HVAC systems and energy efficient lighting fixtures.

Oaks at St. John, originally constructed in 2004, will undergo a remodel of the existing clubhouse and site amenities as well, including upgrades to the fitness center, playground, pavilion and grill areas for residents, and a full siding and roof replacement.

The St. Johns County Planning & Zoning Agency recommended approval of Dominium's plans for Preserve at Wards Creek in early February, with the vote from the Board of County Commissioners set to be held May 7.

Archer said her team has been communicating with the county frequently.

“They’ve been hand-in-hand with us on the transaction the entire time,” she said.

Dominium also hosted community meetings to get feedback about the development.

“People with [adult] kids in St. Johns County are the ones most supportive of these,” she said. “Parents of a single mom who can’t afford to live there [and] business owners are a big part of the conversation. They want their employees to be able to live in the area.”

Those who have raised concerns about this development have listed issues including loss of views, increased traffic and school capacity.

Several large businesses in St. Johns County said housing has been an issue for them to run their businesses because employees couldn’t find a place to live, Renault said.

“We have started to dive into the issue and hired two consultants — one to look at the issue in St. Johns and put together a list of recommendation for our community, [and] the other studied the impact for adding additional units in St. Johns County,” she said. “We then reached out to see what people thought about those two studies and invited people impacted to join the committee. They have been saying attainable housing is essential for St. Johns County and for the businesses’ success here.”

Among those instances of community support for more affordable housing was the Northeast Chapter of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, which sent a letter to the St. Johns Board of County Commissioners in support of Dominium’s proposed development.

“Attracting and retaining employees is a significant concern and focus for many of our members,” the letter said. “Rising housing costs and lack of affordable housing supply are key reasons our members struggle to retain good, hardworking employees. Housing developments like the one being proposed in St. Johns County can help keep our hospitality industry working at its best.”

Other affordable housing in the works

Ability Housing, a nonprofit developer of affordable housing in communities across Florida, broke ground in January on a development for about 100 new, affordable homes coming to St. Augustine.

The 92-unit, new construction apartment community, first announced in June, will be on 6.5 acres at the intersection of North Volusia Street and Chapin Street in the West Augustine neighborhood.

The units will be affordable to households earning up to 60% of the Area Median Income based on data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development).

Rental prices will vary based on household size, income and apartment size but will range from a minimum of about $547 per month for a one-bedroom to a minimum of $759 per month for three-bedroom units. Actual rent prices will be contingent on the most current HUD data.

Construction for the Villages of New Augustine is expected to take 18 months.

Ability Housing began collaborating on this project in 2018, and this will be the nonprofit’s first community in St. Augustine.

Shannon Nazworth, president and CEO of Ability Housing, said in a news release that the groundbreaking was “several years in the making” and Ability Housing is “excited to be part of the solution for affordable housing in St Johns County.”

Funding for the $25 million project was secured through various state, local and private sources, including a $460,000 Affordable Housing Grant and a $1,207,134 award of American Rescue Plan Act which the St. Johns Board of County Commissioners approved in June.

Renault said there is no “single solution” to these issues and that it needs a multi-faceted approach.

It is important to include zoning and regulation changes, increasing density and the creation of a land trust, she said, and “it needs to be part of the county’s comprehensive plan,” which is revised every 25 years and should be finalized in August 2025.

In St. Johns County, the household incomes the county is looking to aid are about “middle wage,” or $40-65,000, and down into the $30,000 range for hospitality workers.

“We cannot miss this opportunity to make attainable housing sustainable as the county grows and ensure we have workers in our community who live here,” Renault said.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Northeast Florida needs more affordable housing for essential workers