DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Help is on the way for families in need of affordable housing in Daytona Beach. This week, city leaders discussed several possible plans that could become a reality by this summer.
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Mayor Derrick Henry explained while the World’s Most Famous Beach does attract thousands of tourists every year, the people who fill the work force aren’t feeling the same benefits.
“We attract new development, new businesses and a lot of times they can’t afford to work at let’s say a Buccees and then have a reasonable place to live,” said Mayor Henry.
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Henry said the affordable housing crisis is a constantly changing issue, pointing to the latest population filling the First Step Shelter in recent weeks.
“Many of our new clients in the shelter are actually senior citizens between the ages of 65 and 75 years old who are being displaced because they can’t afford the housing,” said Henry.
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Meanwhile, in other parts of the city like Midtown, hundreds of families are still trying to find a place to live after their homes were destroyed during Hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022. Henry hopes structures there can be salvaged to fit the needs of the neighborhood.
The city has already created tax incentives for developers and donated land for single family home construction. Henry said some new options that could soon be a reality are changing local zoning laws to allow for more affordable housing. City staff will also discuss creating a trust that will be funded by developer fees, the city and community partners.
No formal decisions have been made but Mayor Henry hopes the process for some of the projects will begin by June.
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