Alachua County cut the ribbon Tuesday on 67 permanent supportive and rapid rehousing units at East Tumblin Creek and Forest Edge off US 441 south of Gainesville. 

The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) bought the two former motels in 2023 and 2021 for $4.1 million before undergoing renovations. The county hopes the new units begin to fill a missing piece in the housing problem.  

With GRACE Marketplace, Keys to Home and the city of Gainesville working on shelter beds, along with county funds, Alachua County began focusing on permanent supportive housing.  

Chair Ken Cornell said at the opening that when citizens voted for the infrastructure surtax, they wanted more than parks and roads. He said Alachua County is a community that votes to provide funds that take care of the most vulnerable.  

“Sixty-seven homes—not shelters, not transitional beds—homes. Places where our neighbors can close the door, feel safe and begin to rebuild their lives. This is adaptive reuse at its most meaningful state,” Cornell said.  

The county earned grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), along with U.S. Treasury Emergency Rental Assistance Program funds. 

County case managers will each work with around 15 tenants, and Alachua County Housing Authority will serve as the landlord. The complex is split between 31 studios for permanent supportive housing and 36 one-bedroom units for rapid rehousing.  

The complex has meeting space, a laundry room and a resource center with computers, sanitation and medical supplies. It’ll be staffed 24/7. 

Amanda Nazaro, executive director of Alachua County Housing Authority, said the units are an investment in people. 

“This collaboration represents a strategic and innovative approach to expanding access to affordable housing in Alachua County,” Nazaro said. “In our role as property manager, the housing authority is committed to maintaining high-quality living environments, providing responsive and reliable management and fostering a supportive community driven in dignity and respect for all residents.” 

Claudia Tuck, director of Alachua County’s Community Support Services, said residents must obey the lease and agree to case management to live there. That’s it. 

The lease stipulates 30% of a person’s income for rent. And if a person is unemployed, then 30% of zero is zero, Tuck told the event attendees.  

“We don’t say you have to stop using drugs; we don’t say you have to take your medication,” Tuck said. “Housing first, as the commissioner said, it’s put the housing in place and then wrap the supports around that individual.” 

Tuck said the individuals living there have often hit rock bottom or been homeless for more than 10 years. She said for some, the idea of sleeping indoors could be scary, with some tenants starting on the front porch before slowly moving inside.  

The first tenants will move in next week, and case managers said it’ll be pretty much booked from the start. 

The case managers are there to assist tenants and connect them with resources, from county programs to community ones on drug addiction, mental health counseling, job training and more.  

Tenants get referred through the Keys to Home Continuum of Care from homeless individuals who are screened by outreach teams. Each referred resident could stay at the units for years, and each resident will be different, staff said. 

Alachua County also owns land to the east and north of the site, with potential future plans for more housing.  

“This is what local government looks like when it works,” Cornell said. “To the residents who will live at Forest Edge and East Tumblin Creek, we built this for you. You Deserve stability, you deserve dignity, and you deserve a place to truly call your home.”