[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6485644,"mediaKeyId","5601424-b7517193a495fe1011cacaa916b51f6e","parentId",5601424,"title","Advisory board discusses forming a community land trust as tool for perpetual affordability","audioSeconds",362,"startMs",185000,"endMs",547000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5601424-b7517193a495fe1011cacaa916b51f6e&start=185&end=547","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5601424-b7517193a495fe1011cacaa916b51f6e/thumbnail_185000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6485644/Walton-County/Florida/Advisory-board-discusses-forming-a-community-land-trust-as-tool-for-perpetual-affordability","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6485644-706b2b565baf78c85baffc544ad7f7e7/orig.mp4?Expires=1773549693&Signature=DoaUWlSDnpHPBf-eSVtabT1rFGzaesmJFwxf0ThZPdPrYPX3Kbe8l5IOB4oswITDNn19ttu7JyNpoybxGf3KxcmtXoKC-W74S2XZUcB6qhU6G4-hHKf~QpT48Nur9zBoXF3nlOgg4GELw1wfSHE5brRL0O2F4Pr6l4TEJPxT5QKF8I2pOSgvTYErbsp8I1t9quzjiqPdhATpmBEGoBh7sun57Q4U~p3NI3ABi2ViIzmRQ3qwehyNsUnSGN~SyXHQL07r0iv8ibWvf-heV6o3oH1t-tk~Fk~zyFg1i9-OJ0JwOaFpRzpLuPVjXd-8T6TNJiiejokGo-T4aZXYOxVNcg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Walton County","date","2025-08-19T16:02:35.967Z","article","Teresa Jones told the Walton County Affordable Housing Advisory Board that the group submitted paperwork on Oct. 23 to pursue 501(c)(3) status for a Community Land Trust (CLT) and that she is working with Florida Housing to develop CLT strategies if legislative funding increases.

“It’s a very hot topic and a lot of counties are moving towards that model so that we can have permanent, structures, with perpetual affordable housing,” Jones said. She said the CLT approach does not require donated public land and can use a mix of tools to keep homes affordable indefinitely.

Barbara Marrano, an attendee, urged the board to consider county plan and zoning changes before placing land into a CLT. She told the board that consultants working on a county comprehensive-plan update have identified future land-use maps and conservation areas, and she said the timing of comp‑plan changes should factor into any CLT land strategy.

Planning staff (Steven) confirmed the planning office is aware of development applicants who have indicated future affordable components on their master plans but said those statements were not approvals and that the county has not received applications tied to those promises. He recommended ensuring public input and comp‑plan alignment when considering CLT acquisitions.

Teresa Jones clarified to the board that a CLT “does not mean that the land put in there is donated, or public land” and that, while donated or public land can help, CLTs can also acquire land through other means with sufficient subsidy.

Ending: Board members agreed there was merit in studying a CLT strategy; staff will continue coordination with Florida Housing and planning to develop options for the advisory board to consider, including public-engagement steps and potential funding sources.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Affordable Housing Advisory Committee - Aug 19 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Teresa Jones reported the Walton County advisory board applied for 501(c)(3) status for a Community Land Trust and urged the board to consider CLTs as a long-term strategy; planning staff cautioned the county’s comp plan and mapping changes should be considered in CLT siting and public outreach.","taxTitle","Walton County, Florida","taxId",28197,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6485649,"Developer says Village Springs affordable complex will restart construction as 39-unit project",223,591000,814000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5601424-b7517193a495fe1011cacaa916b51f6e&start=591&end=814","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5601424-b7517193a495fe1011cacaa916b51f6e/thumbnail_591000.jpg","/articles/6485649/Walton-County/Florida/Developer-says-Village-Springs-affordable-complex-will-restart-construction-as-39-unit-project","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6485649-8e47e6b94bfcb9c388ea97e47793de9d/orig.mp4?Expires=1773549693&Signature=jWO7rTKkMoUdlSGmrPv31hecdPqs-0ZPpeFlUzKj0jpyMUJO5ck~nXabGSw3PE84D3PdBjzm195zcaXeqH3GGaZ0kwbqX-nFSMEHCStVlnxEk1IiX-kDoHe-EZqzLwcYfM~0HdhtWAmMpRfcFe2tQO~7ollorFxJ9AT~fV0z15t1DmOPnARtWwp2GYsj-NEg2uOsB3Dk7goBBMRc-n7NSx8RL03QChaHAeQBDgqRV4t8LhDOv4s4Qs6Yayxp7c-zwE~x0nXL55YDvWZcAC3-FlNhdMxpFOsoJsgJpZ--Iq1J1Nhht79I~iHHjoIKGrIebCQG1FdCgOT28p9RTg31DQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","John Kolesky of VESCOM Builders told the Walton County Affordable Housing Advisory Board that he intends to restart construction on the stalled Village Springs affordable-housing project and to complete a scaled-down, 39-unit development using previously committed HOME funds from Florida Housing.

Kolesky said PNB Bank contacted him about the partially built site, which had stopped mid-construction around 2020 under the original developer. He described reissuing permits with Walton County and working with Florida Housing and the bank to preserve roughly $4,000,000 that had been invested in the project.

“We pretty much have those all done,” Kolesky said of outstanding development issues. He said the county reissued an updated development order about a month earlier and that he hopes Florida Housing will release funds and close by the end of the month so construction can resume in September. Kolesky said he is the general contractor and will lead the work.

The original project was planned as a 50-unit development under Florida Housing HOME funding and was income-restricted. Kolesky said three buildings were demolished during the hiatus because of erosion and safety hazards; the current plan will finish the buildings already standing and leave room to add the demolished units in the future if needed.

Board members asked about permits, contractor changes, demolition scope and the project’s role in voucher utilization. Kolesky said he has worked with the county to get permits reissued under his company and that the first completed units could be available about six to seven months after construction resumes.

Tom, the housing agency representative, later said the agency’s voucher program is currently frozen because of a federal funding shortfall and that the agency cannot add new households to fill newly completed units until that situation is resolved.

Ending: Kolesky requested continued coordination with Florida Housing and local staff; he and county staff will monitor the financing close and construction timeline, with the advisory board noting the project’s potential role in adding affordable rental stock if federal voucher constraints are resolved.
","Developer John Kolesky told Walton County advisory board he plans to finish the stalled Village Springs affordable housing project as a 39-unit income-restricted complex using previously invested HOME funds and an expected financing close this month.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6485652,"Walton County housing agency warns of Section 8 shortfall threatening voucher issuance",1984,1574000,3558000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5601424-b7517193a495fe1011cacaa916b51f6e&start=1574&end=3558","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5601424-b7517193a495fe1011cacaa916b51f6e/thumbnail_1574000.jpg","/articles/6485652/Walton-County/Florida/Walton-County-housing-agency-warns-of-Section-8-shortfall-threatening-voucher-issuance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6485652-945be2645824260d227c9b21acd6cab8/orig.mp4?Expires=1773549693&Signature=P5-3~2YFjNvQBy3uHX0agDqaP~TmeMb~C2V9S6mEyvgljytUyQFw2Xtxz3N3O6KCr3bBqKGlffFfHxdre5uW9INs~OXHLYk7G9WSg00KVOG9i93IWP3kRHWt8kh49D1-2w~GgfTW~au-Lopbi9d7yILfYaCC4KDGx31eJpXG4uRXQC-DPRyInGIEqOKK7N~XRXU4qTG1eWXM1rLxPSE2YBnW4y8JZE3DtO60W0HaVemboJrmMPbHvRzbbDF71U7JfiqQe73wMZrdvUK3GtwQzmvNwKC4aKSMjjQO1F6t0ww3lIDEwNSyIzMCLVizSsiTqP1Yz0DksCE6wtUyOzbAdQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tom, a representative of the Walton County Housing Agency, told the Walton County Affordable Housing Advisory Board that the agency is facing a federal funding shortfall that has halted issuance of new Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8) and could force program reductions if Congress and HUD do not act.

“This is a federal grant totally funded by the federal government,” Tom said, adding that the agency has been told it will be “short this year a $117,000 in making rents in December.” He said the shortfall is part of a nationwide problem affecting hundreds of housing agencies and traced the cause to federal budgeting and continuing resolutions that have not kept pace with rent increases.

The agency is currently serving about 307 families and has roughly 1,300 households on its waiting list, Tom said. He said the waiting list is skewed because an application window closed in July 2024 and many nonlocal applicants remain listed; he estimated “about 121 local families” on the list but said that number was recalled from memory during the meeting.

Tom told the advisory board that the agency has been told to freeze voucher issuance to avoid increasing the federal funding demand while Congress considers supplemental appropriations. He said that if federal funds are not made whole, the agency could face measures such as removing households from the program and that the agency is preparing options to present to the county commissioners.

Tom said he has met with all but one county commissioner and that he will present the agency’s findings and options at the Board of County Commissioners meeting on Oct. 26. He described several possibilities discussed elsewhere — voluntary consolidation with a larger agency, county financial support, or other local mitigation steps — but emphasized such steps are complex and subject to federal rules and local political decisions.

Board members and attendees asked for demographic details about who is served. Tom said some households on the program have been enrolled for decades and noted that small agencies have limited administrative capacity for broader programmatic changes. Participants raised questions about seniors on fixed incomes, families with children, and whether county or nonprofit partners could provide stopgap support.

Several speakers noted local housing market conditions as context. Barbara Marrano, an attendee, distributed county communications showing median single-family sales prices and noted local rents and vacancy promotions on new apartments. Vikari Dickerson, the new SHIP program coordinator with the Emerald Coast Regional Council, told the board she will circulate the AHAC annual-report request and gather recommendations for the annual report due in December.

Tom asked the board not to alarm tenants ahead of the staff briefing, but said the agency is preparing materials and may issue a news release this week to explain the situation. He said HUD did not send a representative to the statewide meeting he attended and that housing agencies statewide are seeking federal relief.

The advisory board did not take formal action on the shortfall at this meeting; Tom said the agency will return to the commissioners with options. The board requested a follow-up presentation and additional data on household composition and local impacts.

Ending: The housing agency will present the issue to the Board of County Commissioners on Oct. 26; until federal action occurs, staff said voucher issuance will remain frozen and households already on the program will be monitored.
","Walton County Housing Agency staff reported a federal shortfall that has frozen voucher issuance, leaving about 307 households on assistance and roughly 1,300 people on the waiting list; agency staff will brief the Board of County Commissioners on Oct. 26.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Advisory board discusses forming a community land trust as tool for perpetual affordability

Developer says Village Springs affordable complex will restart construction as 39-unit project

Walton County housing agency warns of Section 8 shortfall threatening voucher issuance