ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — It St. Johns County, it seems almost everyone agrees there needs to be more affordable housing.
But not everyone agrees with what that means.
St. Johns County has just been ranked the third-richest county in Florida, according to Smart Asset, which doesn't mean much to the people who work here and can’t find a home they can afford.
They include teachers, deputies, and hospitality staff.
One Northrop Grumman engineer told St. Johns County commissioners, "I had to move 40 minutes away to Baymeadows but I work in St. Johns County."
Last week, the St. Johns County Commission voted to reduce the amount of affordable housing a developer must build if in a workforce zone from 40 percent to 30 percent.
The commission also discussed raising the threshold of what is considered the price of a home in this workforce housing zone, from $240,000 to $260,000.
These were changes proposed by the Northeast Florida Builders Association. A representative from the NEFBA told commissioners the costs of property, impact fees, and construction materials have all increased.
However, commissioner Krista Keating Joseph said the county’s workforce could not afford these new homes designated as “workforce housing.”
She said, "I've talked with several banks, and at $260,000 and $270,000, you have to make $60,000 - $70,000 a year and that's not having a car payment or anything else. Firemen make between $48,000 - $50,000. I called the school board, and salaries are $45,000 - $48,000."
Beth Tate with the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce said these changes are a start, but will not meet the bigger need.
"Even with this new ordinance, fewer than 300 homes will be built against a publicly stated need of over 3,500 homes by our four largest employers," Tate stated.
None of the commissioners felt the proposed changes were perfect, but County Commissioner Henry Dean said, "We shouldn’t let perfect be the enemy of the good."
On June 20, the commission will discuss how the proposed workforce housing changes for the Land Development Code, including the price of homes and income restrictions.