JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A nonprofit developer plans to build 120 affordable apartments on Jacksonville’s Northside at the site of the former Lake Forest Elementary School, which closed in 2019.
The Village at Lake Forest, developed by Ability Housing, will set aside 25% of the units for Duval County Public Schools faculty and staff under a first-of-its-kind agreement intended to help the district recruit and retain employees. DCPS will also operate an on-site early learning center, the developer said.
“So for a standard two-bedroom unit, we’re talking about anywhere, again, it’s based on income. It may be anywhere between $900 to $1,500 based on your income, somewhere in that ballpark,” Reggie Fullwood, CEO of Ability Housing, said.
According to the Florida Education Association, the state ranks 50th in the nation for average teacher pay.
The president of the Duval Teachers Union, Tammie Brooks-Evans, and former educators know the struggle firsthand, especially for new and upcoming educators.
“As a new teacher, first-year teacher, trying to figure out where can I afford to live on my teeny tiny salary back in the early 90s of $25,000 a year, how do I afford a place to live?” Brooks-Evans said.
She also believed the new initiative could be a great motivator to help keep recruitment and retention in Duval County schools.
“You have educators right now working in two and three jobs, right, just to be able to afford things and afford housing,” Patricia Baker said. “So having them know that it’s there for them, absolutely, that could be a huge draw.”
The groundbreaking ceremony marked the start of construction at 901 Kennard Street.
“If we could take all the schools that we have that are going to be closing in Jacksonville and do similar things with those, I think Duval County Public Schools is also excited about this initiative, so I think this could be a real blueprint going forward,” Mayor Donna Deegan said.
The development is expected to be completed within the next two years and would also include an on-site early learning center run by Agility Housing.