Alachua County seeks grant applicants for East Gainesville Legacy Project
Press release from Alachua County
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Alachua County Housing and Strategic Division is seeking qualified applicants to submit innovative proposals for a grant to develop the “East Gainesville Legacy Project.”
Applications are due no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, March 20, 2026, and must be submitted to housing@alachuacounty.us. Late submissions will not be accepted or considered. Early submissions are encouraged.
The project focuses on creating sustainable, affordable homeownership opportunities to improve residents’ quality of life and boost the local economy. It will develop market-rate and affordable single-family homes and create opportunities for homeownership and neighborhood revitalization. The initiative stems from feedback emphasizing the need for workforce housing and market-rate housing in the area.
The East Gainesville Legacy Project is a significant investment in housing, economic growth, and community development. The location for the project is a 13-acre site at the corner of Southeast 15th Street and Southeast 8th Avenue, near the Lincoln Heights and Azalea Trail neighborhoods.
View and download the East Gainesville Legacy Project grant application.
“East Gainesville Legacy Project.” is a significant investment in housing, economic growth, and community development.
Every time I hear them wanting to spend $$$ ‘revitalizing the Eastside’ I hear the sound of a toilet flushing. You can revitalize it all you want….who’s going to maintain and keep it up? When you give people free stuff they don’t value it and take care of it.
As the article states, this is not “free stuff.” It is for market rate and affordable housing.
OK…..so who funds the grant? Let me guess….taxpayers? Subsidized by taxpayers is more realistic. Just like the section 8 projects these will be run down and dilapidated unless the taxpayer coughs up more $$ to maintain them.
Market rate housing. With the average mortgage payment around $1400 a month, with a decent down payment there will be a lot of empty homes folks cannot afford.
Throw in taxes, insurance, upkeep the monthly goes up. Subsidize? Tax payers will be on the hook for that.
Another feel good project the commission thinks will appease the voters.
It’s good they’ll be owned not rented section 8s, BUT they better be deed restricted to prevent section 8 voucher renters.
They should also include non-family floor plans for single adults and couples without kids, to get them started owning, and not renting.
So right….once section 8 moves nearby…..there goes the neighborhood and down go the property values resulting in soon to be another hangout for criminals and drug addicts.
Your neighbors said the same thing when you moved in.