The Capital Area Justice Ministry is optimistic about expanding local affordable housing -- despite a recent rejection by the Leon County Commission. The group is already planning to pitch new ideas.
The county may have turned down the Capital Area Justice Ministry’s proposal to use Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency money to buy land and lease it to developers, presumably reducing the cost of building affordable housing. But Robert Deyle of the Justice Ministry says the county left the door open to explore other proposals.
“Commissioner Maddox said a couple of times, ‘This commission wants to put more money into affordable housing.’ He’s absolutely sincere about that. You can see that," Deyle said. "And most of the other commissioners were nodding their heads ‘Yes’ as he was saying that.”
Deyle was referring to Commissioner Nick Maddox, who heads the Family Promise program for families experiencing homelessness.
Deyle is optimistic that the commission will consider a different plan, drawing dollars from a different pot of money.
“The commission ultimately decided not to attach a dollar figure to that, so the final motion that did pass was A, for CAJM to collaborate with the county staff to come up with a program idea, and B, to have that program as a budget discussion item as part of the 2026 budget workshop.”
The county’s five-year strategic plan calls for increasing the stock of affordable housing.
