7,400 essential workers in St. Johns County can’t afford a home. The county has a roadmap to address the issue

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – More than 7,400 St. Johns County residents who work in education, healthcare and law enforcement are unable to afford a home in the county, according to a study presented on Tuesday to the St. Johns County Board of Commissioners.

For just the St. Johns County School District alone, which is known as one of the best school districts in the state, about 3,300 people need workforce housing, and the problem is only going to get worse, according to county projections. The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office said it’s about 700 homes short.

The county is the least affordable in the area, according to the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors, and has been for years. The median price for a home right now is $510,000 and the median price to rent a three-bedroom is $2,290, according to the county.

MORE: With interest rates coming down, real estate experts predict home bidding wars on the horizon in Jacksonville

As of now, there are only 297 workforce housing units set to come online in the coming months.

Most organizations in the state agree that no more than 30% of the household’s income should be spent on housing costs so it doesn’t become a cost burden to them, said Alexander Mansur, chairman of the St. Johns County Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC).

On Tuesday, Mansur laid out the issues facing the county and presented recommendations from AHAC.

RELATED: St. Johns County commissioner votes down public housing authority proposal, says it could change character of county

AHAC said the county should focus on five key priorities:

• Flexible Densities (This aim to give developers more options in terms of the size of the units they can bring to an area’s housing stock)
• Modification of Impact Fees
• Public Land Inventory (look at public land for possible development of housing)
• Impact Fee Credit Transfers
• Accessory Residential Dwelling Units (Additional living quarters typically built on single-family lots)

“Affordable housing is a key element and continuing to make our community strong and secure,” Mansur said. “Unfortunately, there is no one solution, nor one individual who can solve all this. It takes all of us working together to accomplish this mission that we all care so much about.”

Commissioners voted 4-1 to adopt the recommendations, with Commissioner Krista Joseph casting the only “no” vote.

Early in 2024, AHAC wants to meet with commissioners to talk about a strategy to implement its plan.