JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville is short 50,000 affordable housing units, according to the city’s affordable housing administrator.

With housing costs continuing to rise, the Interfaith Coalition for Action Reconciliation and Empowerment (ICARE) is asking for city leaders to create an affordable housing trust fund and for them to commit $10 million to the fund. 

ICARE member and pastor of Mt. Zion AME in Jacksonville, Reverend Victor Cole, said his congregation members often come to him with concerns about the rising costs of housing. 

“Affordable housing hits everyone,” Cole said. “I know so many seniors, young adults who are staying at home with mom and dad or staying with their grandparents or aunties or uncles, who cannot afford to live on their own.”

The organization is hosting a community meeting Monday to try and get support from city leaders on creating the trust fund. 

“We’re gonna ask the mayor, city council persons to put $10 million in the affordable housing trust fund, that’s the big ask tonight,” Cole said Monday afternoon.

If approved, the fund would go towards helping people in some of the lowest income thresholds, people making less than 50% of the average median income. According to city leaders, that income is about $35,900 a year for a single person. 

Joshua Hicks, the affordable housing administrator for the city of Jacksonville, said with so many people moving into the area, it’s important to have housing available at different price points. 

“We know we are struggling with housing supply at 50% to 60% median income or lower, and we really need to build up the inventory,” said Hicks. “One way to do that is through an affordable housing trust fund which can manage incentives for projects, or help fund and support some of these programs.”

Hicks said the money for the trust fund would come from donations, reoccurring fees as well as money the city brings in from completion loans so that no money would need to be pulled from the general budget. 

“Affordable housing trust fund is a way to continue to expand and create new programs and support programs that are already in place without actually hurting the budget long term,” said Hicks.

The meeting is being held at Abyssinia Missionary Baptist Church.