JACKSONVILLE, Fla – Eastside community members learned information about programs, initiatives and tools that could help them not get pushed out of their neighborhood, at a meeting Wednesday night.
It was held one day after the Jacksonville City Council approved the “Stadium of the Future” deal, which is expected to impact the surrounding communities like the Eastside.
Organizers said the goal of the “Prosper in Place Resident” meeting was to inform attendees about what was happening.
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“I’ve had a couple of residents come to me confused,” Suzanne Pickett, president of Historic Eastside Community Development Corporation, said.
The meeting was titled after a campaign the Historic Eastside CDC has in place.
“So, the Prosper in Place campaign is an initiative to help legacy residents stay in their homes,” Pickett said. “We’ve seen now the Stadium of the Future passed. Property values are going to increase.”
With property values expected to increase, Pickett wanted to ensure residents there are ways to make them feel secure in their homes. Especially, if they’re on a fixed income.
Last week, News4JAX reported on a study that found homes built within a 1-mile radius of a new NFL stadium could see a jump in home value of 4.7%, while rent could increase by up to 9%.
One Eastside home was valued at $25,589.00, according to the Duval County Property Appraiser website.
If it increases by nearly 5% like the study expects homes in a mile radius of the new stadium to, the value would then go to $26,868.45.
It’s why information about homestead exemptions, property taxes and the Restore and Repair Program were talked about.
Homestead exemption is a tool that can help remove value off of one’s home and lower the value on which they pay taxes.
The Restore and Repair Program is a project through LIFT JAX, the Historic Eastside CDC and LISC Jacksonville.
It aims to help homeowners stay in the area their families have called home for generations.
“If the house is in disarray the residents are more likely to sell it,” Pickett said.
Another topic discussed at the meeting was heirs property. It’s when all the heirs own all the property together, rather than each person owning an individual lot or piece of the land.
“Heirs property is a cause of Black wealth in land and homeownership. So, it’s important for us to help them understand that via state planning process,” Pickett said.
These are all tools to help people who live in the area keep their homes and not worry about an investor trying to buy or push them out.
Something long-time Eastside resident Angelia Dickerson-Wallace said she appreciated.
“I’m glad I took place in this meeting today. It’s very informative for me and my mom. That was kind of a concern,” Dickerson-Wallace said.
Pickett said anyone in the area needing to know more about what’s happening or needing help can reach out to their organization.