JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – For the first time in recent memory, housing has eclipsed crime as the most pressing concern for Jacksonville residents, according to new polling data from the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab.
As part of News4JAX’s ongoing weekly series “Addressing Affordability,” we’re digging deeper into the issue dominating local conversations — the rising cost of having a place to live.
Pollsters at UNF say housing ranked as the number one concern among Duval County voters in their latest survey, a surprising shift from previous years, where crime almost always topped the list.
“It really sticks out,” said Sean Freeder, UNF political science professor. “Crime is almost always the big headline, but now there are a number of pressures on housing that have pushed that concern to the top.”
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan echoed that sentiment, noting the significance of this shift.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever seen one of those local polls where crime wasn’t at the top,” she said in a one-on-one interview with News4JAX.
Deegan pointed to staggering statistics: A quarter of Jacksonville residents are considered “cost burdened,” meaning they spend more than 50% of their income on rent or mortgage payments.
“How are they going to get medicine? How are they going to get food?” the mayor asked. “We have 24,000 people on a waiting list for affordable housing, and we need 50,000 more units than we currently have.”
Since taking office in 2023, Deegan’s administration has made affordable housing a priority. Last year, the city committed $6 million to programs like rent and mortgage assistance and eviction prevention. The city is also investing in the construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing.
One of those developments is the Lofts at Cathedral on Duval Street, a recently completed project that restored the historic YWCA building and added 84 affordable housing units downtown.
“This leased up in two months. So the demand was high,” said Joshua Hicks, the city’s Affordable Housing Director.
Hicks defines affordable housing as “housing that people can afford without being cost burdened, meaning they spend no more than 30% of their income on rent or mortgage.”
For a single person in Jacksonville, this means earning $54,500 or less per year.
Hicks said more than 5,000 affordable units are either in planning, under construction, or recently completed in Jacksonville.
Upcoming affordable developments opening soon include:
- Madison Palms Apartments – 240 total units - now open and leasing - 8300 Merrill Road, 32211
- Avion Apartments – 320 total units - now leasing - 12525 Tibbets Lane, 32218
- Avery II Apartments – 120 total units - opening soon in 2025 - 14200 Duval Road, 32207
- Gavin Point – 105 total units - opening Summer 2025 - 4025 Salisbury Road, 32216
- Village at Cedar Hill – 90 total units - opening October 2025 - Harlow Boulevard and 103rd Street
- Hollybrook Homes – 182 total units - rehab project completing in 2025 - 104 King Street, 32204
The city has also dedicated resources to down payment assistance programs, eviction diversion programs, and rehabilitation programs that support home repairs for homeowners who may be struggling financially.
“We’re making progress,” Hicks said. “It takes time to build, but we are moving fast to meet the affordability challenge.”
With Jacksonville’s population booming, 17,000 new residents arrived last year alone — Mayor Deegan said the focus on affordability is more important than ever.
“There are so many people that are struggling, and so, as the mayor, that should be a top focus for me. We’d like for those young families moving in to put down roots and stay here,” she said. “But we have to make it affordable for them to do so.”
