Florida Construction News staff writer
Jacksonville is the first city in the nation to partner with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at expanding affordable homeownership through manufactured housing.
The city and HUD signed a letter of intent last week, launching the Jacksonville Starter Home Initiative, a demonstration project that will bring modern manufactured homes to Jacksonville’s Northside.
“Today is about more than a signature on a page,” Mayor Donna Deegan said. “It’s about a city saying, clearly and publicly: We believe every person who calls Jacksonville home deserves a real shot at owning one.”
The project will introduce factory-built homes into an urban setting, something city leaders say has not been done before in Jacksonville. Officials hope it will serve as a model for communities nationwide looking for new ways to address the affordable housing shortage.
“This pilot program will bring high-quality manufactured housing into an urban setting, designed and built the right way,” Deegan said. “This shows our residents, our builders and, frankly, the whole country this is yet another viable solution to the affordable housing crisis.”
The development is planned on a 17.5-acre site east of Sibbald Road and northwest of Soutel Drive, near Charles “Boobie” Clark Park and Pool. The first phase will occupy about five acres and serve neighborhoods including Brentwood, Sherwood Forest and Grand Park.
Homes are intended for first-time homebuyers, veterans, seniors and working families. Unlike rental housing, buyers will own their homes, allowing them to build equity over time.
“Growth has a cost,” Deegan said. “Housing prices have climbed faster than a lot of families’ paychecks have,” she said. “We want to make sure the people who love this city can afford to live here.”
HUD officials said today’s manufactured homes differ significantly from those built decades ago.
“The fact is manufactured housing has evolved significantly over the years through innovation and modernization,” said Paul Olean, acting general deputy assistant secretary for HUD’s Office of Housing.
