Alachua County directs staff to draft guidelines for $54 million surtax housing program

The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners on May 6 voted to ask staff to return with formal guidelines and analysis for the Alachua County Living Spaces and Thriving Places program, the county's rebranded use of Wild Spaces Public Places surtax dollars for housing.

The vote followed a detailed presentation by county housing staff and data commentary from the Schimberg Center for Housing Studies, discussion of three pending developer applications and public comments from developers and housing advocates. Commissioners said they want criteria that prioritize new workforce rental units, leverage private capital, limit county subsidy per project and speed permitting.

County housing program manager Ralston Riudica (Community Support Services) told commissioners the Living Spaces and Thriving Places program will use Wild Spaces Public Places surtax revenue — about $54,000,000 over 10 years — for gap financing, land acquisition and other tools to “create, preserve, and retain affordable housing and workforce housing.” He said staff sent the program solicitation to more than 100 developers and had received three applications to date, mostly for senior and affordable housing rather than the 30–60% area median income (AMI) “workforce” band commissioners said they wanted to prioritize.

Anne Ray of the Schimberg Center for Housing Studies spelled out local need and AMI definitions and emphasized that many working households fall below 60% AMI. "If you take it up to 120% AMI, a two‑bedroom rent could be $2,800," Ray said, and urged commissioners not to treat 60% AMI as a strict floor because many workers earn less than that.

Commissioners and…