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Council asked when affordable-housing sales-tax revenue will be discussed; staff says program runs 10 years and partnership model likely
Summary
A council member asked when the city will discuss spending its affordable-housing sales-tax revenues; staff said the sales-tax program is a 10-year statutory program (city is five years in), HOA dues will not qualify, and administration expects to partner with nonprofits to administer funds unless staffing levels change.
A council member raised a request Wednesday asking when Duval will discuss how to allocate revenue from the local affordable-housing sales tax. The council member said a Toll Brothers homeowners association had asked about timing and whether the council would consider funding HOA requests.
City administration told council the affordable-housing sales tax is a 10-year program under state statute and that Duval is roughly halfway through that term. Staff said there is no statutory requirement to return collected receipts to taxpayers if they remain unspent, but noted the program was structured as a 10‑year initiative and that the city currently lacks an internal affordable-housing program and staffing to administer one.
Staff clarified key eligibility and administration points raised in the discussion: HOA dues would not meet the program’s income-target eligibility because the statutorily required beneficiaries must be households at or below 60 percent of area median income (AMI); standard HOA dues do not qualify as an affordable-housing subsidy under those rules. Staff said the more likely path would be to partner with a nonprofit housing provider to administer programs funded by the sales tax, unless the city provides greater internal staffing and program capacity.
Administration described the practical process to put a spending item on a council agenda: items for council discussion or action are brought forward via the mayor’s agenda-setting process and the weekly staff-mayor agenda meeting. Staff offered to prepare a response to the Toll Brothers HOA inquiry and to work with the city attorney and housing staff to identify reasonable timing for a policy discussion; no final allocation decision was made.
Ending: Council members asked staff to return with options and clearer timelines. Staff said they could add the item to the council docket when the administration and mayor determine there is adequate staff readiness to bring forward actionable options.
