ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – St. Johns County has passed a proposal regarding the rezoning of a 3.94-acre property at the intersection of King Street Extension and N. Clay Street, focusing primarily on changing the zoning from Residential, Single-Family (RS-2) to Workforce Housing (WH).
The change aims to develop the land into a subdivision with 17 single-family residential lots, all of which are slated to be converted into workforce housing.
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According to Malinda Everson, executive director of Habitat for Humanity in St. Johns County, the homes cannot be re-sold for five years, a change made by St. Johns County officials that initially had the deed restriction at two years; however, there is an exemption for members of the military.
Previous coverage of this proposal can be found below
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.
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, saying affordable housing is for low-income households and falls below 80% of the median income. Meanwhile, workforce housing is for middle-income households and falls between 80-120% of the median income.
The Planning and Zoning Agency had already recommended approval of this proposal, with a unanimous vote of 6-0. The proposed development aligns with the county’s Comprehensive Plan, which supports efficient land use patterns and balanced growth.
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 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.
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.”