City Council considers more than $14M for programs to address homelessness, prevent evictions

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – About 2,000 people in the Jacksonville area are without a home and more than 15,000 people were evicted from their homes in Duval County last year.

That’s why the Jacksonville City Council is considering investing millions of dollars to get to the root of the social issue.

Council members are expected to approve millions of dollars for new programs proposed by Mayor Donna Deegan that will address homelessness and help people stay in their homes.

More than $14 million will go toward not only helping those who are unhoused find shelter but also stopping the cycle of homelessness faster.

That means investing in programs that:

• Improve literacy rates ($2 million)

• Help teenagers find work ($1.5 million)

• Provide families with information on how to find a place to live ($5 million)

Emergency rental assistance and eviction prevention are another piece of the puzzle.

Those programs include:

• Emergency Rental & Eviction Prevention ($2 million): Provides temporary financial assistance to prevent eviction for non-payment of rent/mortgage or interruption of utilities.

• Homelessness Decision and Problem-Solving Pilot: Takes a problem-solving approach to address and prevent the issues leading up to homelessness.

• Emergency Homelessness Relief and Non-Congregate Shelter: Offers temporary shelters for unhoused people dealing with unexpected circumstances.

• Homelessness Continuum of Care Bonus Match: Serves people trying to escape domestic violence situations.

Tuesday’s City Council meeting starts at 5 p.m. News4JAX will provide updates on whether the funding passes.