JACKSONVILLE, FL — The Jacksonville Housing Authority says its waitlist has dropped by more than 17,000 people even as the need for affordable housing remains intense across the city. When Cheron Corbett Waller became CEO in April 2025, about 47,300 people were waiting for public housing or a Housing Choice Voucher.
Today, JHA says that number is about 30,300. The agency links the decline to a broader push that includes renovating older properties, building new homes and moving ahead with redevelopment projects tied to a five-year strategic plan.
Residents at Brentwood are already seeing repairs and upgrades
At the Brentwood Faith Building, a senior housing community, some tenants say the changes are easy to spot. Michael Muff, who has lived there since 2021, pointed to new paint, updated entry doors and new refrigerators and appliances installed for residents.
He said the improvements have made a noticeable difference in daily life. JHA says Brentwood is one example of its effort to address deteriorating properties and improve the quality of public housing already in service.
Corbett Waller said the work is not meant to stop at one property. She said continuing to fix aging buildings is one of the agency’s critical missions.
JHA’s five-year plan focuses on upgrades, land reuse and federal funding
The housing authority’s strategic plan calls for maintaining and upgrading public housing so it meets federal and local standards. It also lays out a long-term effort to redevelop vacant land and buildings, with a goal of completing redevelopment projects within 10 years.
Corbett Waller said the agency is trying to make the most of capital funds already awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. That money is expected to support repairs and other improvements as JHA works through its property list.
The next major project is Twin Towers, another senior development. JHA plans to renovate the elevator lobbies and common areas there before turning to the individual residential units.
New construction includes Daisy Homes in Durkeeville and Franklin Arms plans on the Eastside
Beyond repairs, JHA is adding new housing units in Jacksonville neighborhoods. The agency has built five single-family Daisy Homes in historic Durkeeville and says it plans to build more.
It is also working to redevelop Franklin Arms on the Eastside into affordable senior housing. JHA says public-private partnerships and federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits will be important to getting more units built and back into the market.
Those efforts fit into the agency’s larger goal of expanding and preserving the city’s affordable housing supply. JHA says it wants to use redevelopment as one way to keep existing sites productive while also creating new options.
Resident services are part of the push to stabilize families
The five-year plan goes beyond buildings. JHA also wants to expand resident services that include education, job training, economic security programs and paths to homeownership.
At Brentwood, resident Bonnie Easthom said those kinds of services can make a real difference. She said the community offers daycare, computer labs and other support that help residents manage school and work.
Easthom said she spent about four years on the waiting list before moving into Brentwood. Her experience reflects how long it can take to get into public housing, even with the agency trying to add more options.
Demand stays high as JHA looks for faster ways to build
Even with the waitlist falling, Corbett Waller said the demand for affordable housing remains strong. She said JHA is looking at public-private partnerships and tax credit financing as ways to move faster on new development.
She said the speed of the market matters when the agency is trying to complete tax credit deals and bring new affordable units online. JHA also says it is considering how potential HUD work requirements or time limits could be used to design local programs.
The agency has also adopted a policy allowing people experiencing homelessness to be placed on the public housing waiting list. Corbett Waller said the underlying need is clear: there is a true need for housing that people can afford.
For some residents, stable housing is the biggest outcome
For people who have been through housing instability, the stakes are personal. Muff said the chance to live at Brentwood has mattered because he experienced homelessness before moving there.
He described the apartment as a blessing and said having a stable place in the community is something he does not take for granted. JHA says its future work will continue to focus on improving older properties, building new affordable housing and using partnerships and federal support to meet demand.
