9/1/19 @ 4:20 p.m.- At the Florida Housing Coalition held in Orlando this week, Nassau County was recognized for a recent success story for a resident that received rehabilitation assistance through Nassau County's State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Program.

The SHIP Program was established by the passage of the 1992 William E. Sadowski Affordable Housing Act and provides funding to local governments to produce and preserve affordable home ownership. In order to participate, counties must establish a local housing assistance program by Ordinance and develop a local housing assistance plan and housing incentive strategy. Funds are then allocated to local governments on a population based-formula. The funds are used for emergency repairs, new construction, rehabilitation, and down payment and closing cost assistance for very-low, low and moderate income families who meet all the requirements listed in Florida Statutes, Chapter 420.907, Florida Administrative Code 67-37, and Nassau County's Local Housing Assistance Plan.

The SHIP success story was shared previously with Nassau County residents on June 25, 2019. Click here to see the original story and to view the video.

The State asked counties to submit videos of their local recipients to share resident's personal experiences with the program and to spread awareness to other residents who may need assistance. We were notified on August 15th that our video was selected as one that best reflects the SHIP Program and how it changes the lives of those in need.

This couldn't have been done without the efforts of our SHIP Coordinator, Carol Gilchrist. Great job Carol!

3/13/19 @ 4:00 p.m. - The Department of Planning & Economic Opportunity has issued a Press Release regarding the recently approved changes to the County's Land Development Code to allow Accessory Dwellings County-wide. The changes originated from a subcommittee of the County's Affordable Housing Advisory Committee who were tasked with making draft changes to the Code.

Accessory Dwellings are defined as a self-contained residential unit that is an accessory to a single-family home and on the same parcel. It has its own bathroom, kitchen facilities, living and sleeping areas, though it can share other features with the single-family home including the yard, parking, storage or laundry facilities. Accessory Dwellings are seen nationwide as a practice for addressing affordable housing issues.

Please see the attached Press Release to learn more about Accessory Dwellings and the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

9/7/18 @ 9:10 a.m. - Nassau County's Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) is working to tackle housing issues facing our county and have coordinated a series of public outreach strategies to engage our communities in this important conversation. A second speaker series event is titled: Staying in Your Home: Legal Issues & Home Ownership.

The event will be held on Wednesday, September 19th at 6:00 p.m. in the Commission Chambers located at 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097. This is event is free and open to the public.

If you have any questions, please contact Adrienne Burke, Assistant Director for the Department of Planning & Economic Opportunity, at (904) 530-6300 or via e-mail at aburke@nassaucountyfl.com.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

7/24/18 @ 2:15 p.m. - The State Housing Initiatives (SHIP) Program was established by the passage of the 1992 William E. Sadowski Affordable Housing Act and provides funding to local governments to produce and preserve affordable home ownership. In order to participate, counties must establish a local housing assistance program by Ordinance and develop a local housing assistance plan and housing incentive strategy. Funds are then allocated to local governments on a population-based formula. The funds are used to fund emergency repairs, new construction, rehabilitation, and down payment and closing cost assistance for very-low, low and moderate income families who meet all the requirements listed in Florida Statutes, Chapter 420.907, Florida Administrative Code 67-37, and Nassau County's Local Housing Assistance Plan.

In Fiscal Year 2017/2018, 26 households were awarded SHIP funding for down payment and closing cost assistance for purchase of a new home or rehabilitation of an existing home. So far, 6 loans for down payment assistance have closed and 8 rehabilitation projects have been completed. Below are before and after photos of two homes that received assistance through the SHIP Program.

For additional information about the SHIP Program including income requirements and associated guidelines, please visit our website. You may also call the Grants Office at (904) 530-6020 or e-mail Carol Gilchrist at cgilchrist@nassaucountyfl.com.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

New roof, siding, windows, hand rails and gutters were added to the exterior of the home. The sub floor of front porch was secured and sagging foundation at rear of home was corrected. The bathroom was enlarged and sink, toilet, vanity and a new walk in shower was installed. New flooring was installed throughout. Electrical panel was brought up to code, smoke detectors replaced throughout, and insulation added to the attic.
 

Replaced roof, all siding and added gutters. Electrical panel was brought to code, GFI installed where needed and smoke detectors replaced throughout. Windows and HVAC was replaced. Installed walk in shower with handicapped bars, toilet, and vanity. Insulation added where needed.
 

7/20/18 @ 3:40 p.m. - On July 18, 2018, Bill Lazar with the St. Johns Housing Partnership was the speaker at the County’s regular Affordable Housing Advisory Committee meeting, and also speaker for a community outreach event that evening hosted in partnership with the City of Fernandina Beach.

We appreciate Mr. Lazar for being the first in our Housing Speaker Series, and learning about programs and policies in place in St. Johns that we could look at implementing in Nassau County. For more information on AHAC and housing in Nassau, visit our website. Stay tuned for the second in our speaker series, tentatively scheduled to be in September.

-Adrienne Burke
 Department of Planning & Economic Opportunity
 
 

7/20/18 @ 11:50 a.m. - In  May 2017, the Board of County Commissioners established an Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) to craft a policy to effectively improve affordable housing County-wide. A recent report indicated that there are many individuals in the County who are just above the poverty level and do not qualify for any type of assistance to provide them with affordable housing options for their families. Additionally, Nassau County has been identified as one of four counties in which the affordability of housing has dropped more than 20% from 2007-2015.

It's important to note, the AHAC is not looking to create a housing authority, nor are they focusing on Section 8 housing. They are, however, being proactive in developing a plan that would encourage developers to include some affordable housing options within their developments. This is intended to provide options for working families who struggle to find safe and affordable housing for their families.

Guidelines issued by the Housing and Urban Development indicates that an individual with a salary of $32,000 per year should not be paying more than $800 monthly. As most of you know, there aren't many options in Nassau County that would meet that criteria. AHAC is working to address that. Please read the attached Press Release from AHAC Chairmanm, Justin Taylor, to gain a better understanding on this very important issue.

The AHAC Committee meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 4:00 p.m. Meetings are held in the Commission Chambers located at 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097. The public is always welcome to attend and participate in these meetings.

If you have any questions, Chairman Taylor can be reached at (904) 625-5624.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

7/3/18 @ 3:30 p.m. - Nassau County's Affordable Housing Committee (AHAC) has been meeting monthly in an effort to identify affordable housing opportunities for our residents. They have coordinated a series of public outreach strategies to engage with Nassau County communities about affordable housing. The first of these Affordable Housing Speaking Series has been scheduled for Wednesday, July 18, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in the Peck Center located at 516 South 10th Street. The event will feature Bill Lazar, Executive Director for the St. Johns Housing Partnership, who will be hosting the discussion.

This event is free and open to the public.

If you have any questions, please contact Adrienne Burke, Assistant Director for the Department of Planning & Economic Opportunity, at (904) 530-6300 or via e-mail at aburke@nassaucountyfl.com.

-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office

6/9/17 @ 11:00 a.m. - At the March 27, 2017, Board of County Commissioner's meeting, Commissioner Justin Taylor expressed an interest in establishing a committee to review current affordable housing options in the County and to develop a plan to provide additional affordable housing options for the community. The Board of County Commissioners subsequently adopted Ordinance No. 2017-11 which outlines the Committee's purpose, member terms, and mandated industry criteria for representatives serving on the Committee.

Florida Statute, Chapter 420.9076, states that an affordable housing committee shall be comprised of at least 8, but not more than 11 members. At least 6 of those members must meet certain industry criteria as outlined by Florida Statute. The remaining members may be appointed from any industry or background.

Nassau County's newly established Affordable Housing Advisory Committee consists of 11 members, 7 of which meet the criteria outlined by Florida Statute, and 4 general appointments. Below are the committee member names and the area they represent:

• Greg Matovina, owner of Matovina & Company, representing the home building industry.
• Lorra Britt, Branch Manger for Southeastern Bank in Callahan, representing the mortgage banking industry.
• Jenna Emmons, Property Development Administrator for Ability Housing, representing for-profit providers of affordable housing.
• Carlene McDuffie, Owner/Broker for Palm III Realty, representing the real estate industry.
• Justin Taylor, County Commissioner for District 5, representing the governing body of Nassau County and serving as Chairman of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee.
• Laura DiBella, Executive Director of the Nassau County Economic Development Board, representing employers in the County.
• Dr. Kathy Burns, Superintendent of the Nassau County School Board, representing public services personnel.
• Len Kreger, Commissioner for the City of Fernandina Beach, general appointment.
• Dr. Laureen Pagel, Chief Executive Director of Starting Point Behavioral Health, general appointment.
• Lisa Rozier, Education and Community Specialist for Family Support Services, general appointment.
• Betsie Huben, Real Estate Consultant for Keller Williams Atlantic Partners Realty, general appointment.

The Affordable Housing Advisory Committee will be holding their first meeting on Tuesday, June 20, 2017 at 3:30 p.m. in the Commission Chambers located at 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097 (James S. Page Governmental Complex). Their first meeting will include setting a regular meeting schedule and determining the Committee's goals and objectives. This public is invited to attend.

If you have any questions, please contact Committee Chairman, Justin Taylor, at (904) 625-5624 or the County Manager's Office at (904) 530-6010.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office