From our CEO Bill Lazar.
"We need multiple layers of affordable housing.It's a perplexing conundrum, needing both rental and homeownership, and figuring out how produce more.
So either you buy existing, convert/improve thru rehab.
Rehab can't be done remotely, you need an actual local workforce.
Or you build new, on site or modular. Modular construction has value. It does replace local workers, if there is a surplus of existing workers, there is not, now.
But with modular:
1- most of the cost is not recycled locally.
2- you have to outlay more cash upfront to the plant to get your product moving.
3- no less than six months before delivery, and that may still favor volume buyers.
Selling- new or existing- I think the Build4Rent investors are a plague on the field of the American dream of homeownership. They're gobbling up everything, and their end product is not affordable for most.
But for a seller- whether private owner, builder, or a realtor, the B4R folks offer a fast turn around. Why wouldn't you want to sell your product faster so you can move on to the next? And, if the workforce is already understaffed, how do we move the needle on housing for the workforce?
Affordable housing is clearly an issue for employers, not just employees.
It's an all hands on deck approach, AND it needs incentives that will not be available to the normal market forces."
Make your voice heard at this important meeting about the future of affordable housing in the City of St. Augustine.
On Monday, January 24, at 3:00 p.m., the St. Augustine City Commission will meet to discuss affordable workforce housing with special presentations from David Birchim, Assistant City Manager, Shannon Nazworth, President and CEO of Ability Housing, Victor Ramos, CEO of St. Augustine and St. Johns County Board of Realtors, and Bill Lazar, Executive Director of St. Johns Housing Partnership.
The workshop is intended to provide an overview of the current state of the housing market and the availability of affordable housing options for the local workforce. Staff will be seeking City Commission's direction on developing affordable workforce housing on two city-owned parcels.
Residents and concerned stakeholders are encouraged to attend an offer public comment.
The meeting will be held in The Alcazar Room of City Hall, located at 75 King St. It can be live-streamed and viewed on-demand the following day at www.CityStAugTV.com
The agenda and packet for this meeting can be found at www.CityStAug.com/609
Shouldn’t it be after hours? Ya know, in between our multiple jobs that we work to NOT be able to afford housing?
And mask up please.
Lindsey Rodea
Critical issue!!
Save the date for the Care Connect+ BRAVE Summit on Wednesday, March 30th!
The BRAVE program seeks to break down the stigma associated with seeking assistance for mental health, breaking down barriers to receiving support, and ensuring that people have access to the services they need to thrive.
The program began with a focus on students and quickly grew to serve people of all ages with a connection to behavioral health services.
St. Johns Housing Partnership is proud to be a partner of Care Connect+. #bravementalhealth
Corbett and Grace Lunsford visited St Augustine a few years ago with their traveling "tiny home." It was built more to illustrate how to design homes that would perform well, not just how to live in a limited area.
They continue to offer some of the clearest advice on how to think of our homes as a performing system, not just a space to occupy. This is a great video and good introduction to performance building.
www.gpb.org/television/show/home-diagnosis
www.gpb.org
The first-ever series on the science of homes, with Grace and Corbett Lunsford.
Today, we honor the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. 🇺🇸
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."
Join the MLK Day of Service Clean-Up Event organized by the West Augustine Nature Society.
www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=337468311715626&id=103270821802044
Looking forward to it!
Hopefully, this is the first of many tuition-free, Montessori-inspired preschools in underserved communities in Florida.
"Ability Housing announced a 10-year agreement with Bezos Academy to open a tuition-free, Montessori-inspired preschool in Orlando targeted to open fall 2022. This is the first Bezos Academy preschool announced in Florida.
The Bezos Academy preschool will be in the Village on Mercy apartment community, which is owned by Ability Housing and located at 1766 Mercy Drive in Orlando.
The preschool will follow a full-day, year-round schedule, and will be slated to open two classrooms in fall 2022.
“Housing is the foundation of our lives. Without stable housing, families struggle. But to truly succeed, families need a network of support to foster their economic resiliency and mobility,” said Shannon Nazworth, President and CEO of Ability Housing.
“Ability Housing made a commitment to operate our housing as a springboard for our families’ futures, with the goal to eliminate intergenerational poverty amongst our residents. This partnership is perfectly aligned with that commitment. The opportunity it provides our residents is tremendous.”
abilityhousing.org/bezos-academy/
The Dr. Martin Luther King Celebration Committee of St. Johns County hosts St. Augustine's 37th Annual Commemorative Event on Monday, January 17th to celebrate the memory of Dr. King and the great influence he had in the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964.
The theme for this year's event is "No One is Free, Until We Are All Free.”
As in years past, a silent march will be led by the Rev. Anthony Britton from 86 MLK Avenue to the Plaza de la Constitucion starting at 11:30 a.m. The march commemorates the Dr. King-led marches in St. Augustine during the civil rights movement in the 1960s.
The Commemorative Breakfast at Flagler College is sold out.
www.visitstaugustine.com/event/dr-martin-luther-king-jr-commemorative-breakfast-remembrance-march
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Breakfast & Remembrance March | Visit St. Augustine
www.visitstaugustine.com
The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is celebrated with a breakfast and silent march each year.
Do you know someone looking for affordable housing?
Habitat for Humanity St. Augustine/St. Johns County is accepting applications this month.
Visit their office at 7 Hopkins Street Tuesday-Friday from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. or call (904) 826-3252.
Learn more at habitatstjohns.org/
Thanks for sharing!
Olivia Norris
"Many affordable home renters are just one natural disaster, financial crisis or health emergency away from housing insecurity."
A recent survey conducted by the National Housing Preservation revealed that "despite gains made by many policy enactments directed towards increased housing production and rental assistance, most underserved populations who comprise the renter universe remain just that—underserved. And simply building more new housing is not the answer either."
Learn more about the strategies to create more resiliency in affordable housing.
www.multihousingnews.com/7-strategies-for-more-resilient-affordable-housing/
7 Strategies for More Resilient Affordable Housing
www.multihousingnews.com
National Housing Preservation Executive Vice President & CFO Eric W. Price on how to improve housing opportunities for underserved communities.
At St. Johns Housing Partnership, we help people stay in their homes and rebuild their lives!
“The amount of time and energy and patience you expended was incredible. And your knowledge of the process is superior.” —Mrs. R.
We appreciate the support of our funders, HUD-NCRC and SJC-HHS, that allow us to serve our community!
If you know anyone that's in danger of losing their home and needs help, please have them call us at (904) 819-1266!
www.sjhp.org
Housing counseling is so essential!! SJHP has built an industry changing program for the community!!
I have a Vet with stage 4 cancer and homeless. Do you know where he can get assistance? SSVF cut him off because the apt did not fit his disability needs. Discriminatory, yes. Can you refer him somewhere ?
Congratulations! Experienced housing counselors are essential for families facing housing instability.
“Working at the Housing Partnership is a non-traditional experience” says Executive Director Bill Lazar. “I started working with affordable housing programs 30 years ago as a carpenter and grew into my current job as Director.”
We have several positions open! If you or someone you know is looking for a job that has a positive impact on the well-being of others, please contact us! We are an equal opportunity employer, drug-free workplace.
CFO/Director of Finance
The St. Johns Housing Partnership (SJHP) is hiring a CFO/Director of Finance. The position is full-time and requires a minimum of BA in accounting, 5-10 years accounting experience. Experience in real estate and development financing is important along with a strong grasp of QuickBooks accounting software. If interested, please contact Bill Lazar, blazar@sjhp.org, for more info. EOE DFW
Carpenters and Helpers
We’re looking for a few good men and women! If you or anyone you know are interested in construction, give us a call. It’s a job with unique benefits. In addition to using your skills and knowledge to help others, you’ll learn about incorporating accessibility, energy conservation, and green building into remodeling and new construction. The SJHP works to keep our neighbors-in-need living safely in their homes. From repairing rotting floors to improving accessibility and building wheelchair ramps, our rehab staff plays an important part in the health and safety of our clients. It’s hard, dirty work with a mission to help others. Must have positive attitude, good work ethic, basic tools, be able to pass a drug test and background check. Steady work, 40 hours/week, 52 weeks a year. Medical and dental benefits provided after 60 days. For more information, please contact our Project Manager Susan Giddens, (904) 824-0902.
New Construction Manager
SJHP is hiring a New Construction Manager for our affordable housing construction division. In this current housing boom, there are many first-time homebuyers getting priced out of the market and SJHP is one of the few builders in SJC meeting this demand. We are looking for someone with at least eight years construction experience, and at least five in a supervisory capacity. Please contact Bill Lazar at (904) 669-1069 for more information.
Nathan Alexander
Exciting times at St. Johns Housing Partnership!
We recently closed on our 4th home sale in 2021. We have 6 more homes under contract with construction underway!! We only have 4 more available lots, so we're hunting for more.
If you know someone who's thinking of selling their property, ask them to give SJHP a chance first. We won't let multiple buyers bid up the price and we're only selling to people who live or work in St. Johns County. It may take a little longer to get to closing, but that's our commitment to our mission.
Our Executive Director Bill Lazar wants to give Lisa Drudi a huge shoutout, as she has built this momentum with a great group of subcontractors, who are truly making a difference in our buyers' lives.
The homes are Florida Certified Green Homes with a Silver Status by the Florida Green Building Coalition with utility bills projected to be less than $100 per month.
First people ready and approved get to sign contracts. If you’re ready to buy a home or have a lot to sell, please call us at (904) 819-1266 for more info.
www.sjhp.org
Beautiful home. Congrats Bill and Lisa! Thank you for continuing to serve our community in such an impactful way. 👏
It's amazing y'all definitely came along ways from when I used to work with y'all I remember the very first set of homes y'all did
Glad you put in grab bars!
Great looking house. I'd love to look inside. Keep up the good work.
Great work as always SJHP!!!!
Very nice!
Adorable
Really would like to see if I can qualify. How do I go about doing that? What would payments be for a 2 bedroom??
Cost per home?
Thank you Debi Redding love this. Do you think I could get approved?
Heather Connors
Gillen R Durling
Derek Lewis
Nia March
Lee Burnett
Hosston Bishop
Olivia Norris. !!!!
We get thank you letters!
“Thank you is a mild choice of words for the admiration I feel for the SJHP staff … Without [Lisa] directing me, I would have given up.”
Mrs. L is a recent widow who reached out for assistance very quickly after her partner passed. We were able to assist and get her back on track with her mortgage.
We appreciate the support of our funders, HUD-NCRC and SJC-HHS, that allow us to serve our community!
At St. Johns Housing Partnership, we help people stay in their homes and rebuild their lives! If you know anyone that's in danger of losing their home and needs help, please have them call us at (904) 819-1266!
Way to go Lisa!