Reasons why people are skeptical of government efforts to provide “affordable housing” are evidenced in a new report on a local program.
The city’s Office of Inspector General said the city spent thousands of dollars and can’t show much in return.
Overall, in 95 percent of the cases no affordable housing was provided.
The office found that in 59 of 62 cases owners given land by the city failed to create affordable housing as intended. There were 160 parcels of land involved.
Also, 23 of the new owners simply sold 66 of the parcels.
The fiasco resulted in $557,582 in lost revenue.
The land was given to people without specifically prohibiting them from re-selling it at a profit.
The program began in 2019 under the Lenny Curry administration. The inspector general’s office did a review a year ago and published its finding in September.
News4Jax said one of the participants in the program is under investigation by the state attorney’s office.
Officials in Mayor Donna Deegan’s administration told members of the City Council they had made all of the recommended corrections and would ensure more oversight in the future.
If the government is going to take money from local residents and give it to other people for housing, the least it could do is make sure that it results in housing, not profits for opportunists.
