ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – St. Johns County is considering a rezoning proposal for a 3.94-acre property at the intersection of King Street Extension and N. Clay Street. The proposal seeks to change the zoning from Residential, Single-Family (RS-2) to Workforce Housing (WH).
This change aims to develop the land into a subdivision with 17 single-family residential lots, six of which would be designated as workforce housing units. Thirty percent of the homes in Cypress Village would have to be sold at $267,000 or less, according to Malinda Everson, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity in St. Johns County. She also says homes cannot be re-sold for two years.
The Planning and Zoning Agency has already recommended approval of this proposal, with a unanimous vote of 6-0. The Board of County Commissioners is set to review the proposal on Tuesday. The proposed development aligns with the county’s Comprehensive Plan, which supports efficient land use patterns and balanced growth.
The Workforce Housing zoning designation is intended to provide affordable housing options for low to moderate-income households, with specific criteria ensuring that 30% of the units are designated as workforce housing.
Workforce housing is designed to be affordable for households within the upper low to moderate-income categories, as defined by the Federal Housing Authority. The maximum initial sales price for workforce housing offered for sale is $260,000. According to the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors, St. Johns County is the least affordable county in Northeast Florida, with a median sales price for a home in January at $535,000.
The proposal is subject to further review and public hearings, where community members can express their opinions and concerns.
Everson shared some thoughts on why workforce housing is so important.
“Our homeowners have to fall between 80 to 120% of the area median income,” she explained. “For a single person, it starts around $34,000 a year and goes up to about $80,000 a year.”
Everson emphasized that workforce housing is for people who work in the community but may not be able to afford to live there, such as teachers, firefighters, and sheriff’s department employees.
Bill Lazar, executive director of St. Johns Housing Partnership, clarified the difference between affordable and workforce housing. He says affordable housing is for low-income households and falls below 80% of the median income. While workforce housing is for middle-income households and falls between 80-120% of the median income.”
The Land Development Code Part 5.11.00 outlines the purpose of the Workforce Housing zoning designation, aiming to encourage the development of a mixture of housing types within a residential land use that is affordable to low to moderate-income households. Developments providing at least 30% of their overall units for workforce housing are eligible for flexible development standards and increased density within certain future land uses.
Everson hopes the proposal passes to bring more workforce housing to the area, addressing the community’s need for affordable living options for its workforce.
“There is a misconception about our homeowners in particular, that they’re getting something for free,” she said. “They work very hard. They have to do 200 sweat equity hours building their homes and other homes within the Habitat program.”