DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A major overhaul is coming to one of the poorest areas in Daytona Beach.
The Housing Authority released renderings of the new public housing planned for Caroline Village.
But people who live there now have many concerns. Eyewitness News took the neighborhood’s questions to the Housing Authority.
The renderings show everything from new parks and recreation opportunities to homes and apartments for families.
It’s a major upgrade compared to the units currently in Caroline Village and Palmetto Park in the Historic Midtown community. Eyewitness News dug up video from 2009 showing homes underwater, and the same thing happened during Hurricane Ian in 2022.
“There are still a lot of things in the house that need to be fixed from the storm,” said resident Precious Wilson.
Families have started moving back to the area after being displaced, but Wilson said there are many issues and doubts about whether relief is actually coming.
“Even when they did the applications for here, like a lot of people filled them out, and there’s still a lot of vacant units that they haven’t put people back in,” said Wilson.
Mo tells us she’s been living in shelters for months with her five kids while she waits for a unit in Caroline Village.
“You still have apartments right now that I could have been in, that I was promised to be in, but you’re focused on something new that you’re just going to give to people. No, you’re not, no, you’re not,” said Mo.
We took those concerns to the housing authority, and the CFO said:
“Housing Daytona Beach is working diligently to repair these units and reoccupy them before the community is torn down. It should also be noted that the failing condition of Caroline Village and Palmetto Park is the primary reason these communities are scheduled to be demolished and replaced with 21st-century decent, safe, and modern affordable housing.”
The Housing Authority also said families who are relocated from the public housing will pay the same rent in this new community. They hope to break ground in 14 months and already have funding in place for the first phase.
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