A.G. Gancarski
On Monday afternoon, Jacksonville City Council members Bill Gulliford and Lori Boyer were joined by Kerri Stewart, Chief of Staff for the Lenny Curry administration, to hash out the details of 2015-519, a bill that would raise the admissible value of donated properties from $25K to $50K. This bill has not been without controversy.
In Finance Committee last week, Boyer mentioned that there needed to be “greater opportunity for others,” beyond “previously approved” developers, to be part of the process. The scoring criteria for potential recipients of donations privileges non-profits over for-profit developers.
Chairman Gulliford pushed for deferral with more discussion of the bill’s parameters, which would include a public notice meeting, to refine terms. Monday’s meeting was that public notice meeting.
Though only two council members made it, the discussion was wide-ranging and thorough.
Boyer repeated her contention that the process dramatically privileged non-profit organizations that are in the loop, and wondered why the process privileged them over for-profit companies, if the for-profit is committed to affordable housing.
Gulliford’s response was typically pragmatic.
“If you’ve got a $50K property,” the Beaches councilman said, “a for profit is not going to be particularly interested.”
Another question he raised was germane to the issue of owner-occupied affordable housing.
“Are you going to enhance neighborhoods in decline with rental properties?”
Gulliford noted that there is. by and large, an increase in home sales and a decrease in home owners. Though he didn’t say this, it suggests an increase in investment buyers.
Another concern raised was by Stewart.
To make this program work in terms of neighborhood stabilization, the “eventual homeowner” would need credit counseling and other help to “ensure the right house gets to people who need it the most” and are able to handle the exigencies of home ownership.”
Non-profit programs allow control, compliance, and long range tracking, as well.
Non-profits are preferred in the legislation and the proposed scoring matrix because, said a city representative, they are “thoroughly vetted” in a way that for profit companies might not be.
The city of Jacksonville right now has over three hundred parcels that could go into a pool for redistribution.
The advantage for the city for this to happen is that it removes the burden of maintenance, as well as the burden of potential liability claims, from the city itself.
Many of the properties that would fall under the aegis of this bill are in depressed areas. Some, meanwhile, are in areas that are on the precipice of serious decline.
Meanwhile, another issue that came up was that of whether some neighborhoods want affordable housing in their midst. The specter was raised of homeowners who would be concerned about potentially declining property values.
For those concerns, Stewart had three words.
Fair Housing Act.
This measure will be re-referred to the Neighborhood Improvement and Enhancement Committee for further discussion.
