SOUTH TALLAHASSEE, FL — Tallahassee city and county leaders broke ground on a new Community Land Trust development on Wallis Street in the South City neighborhood on Friday, unveiling a project they say will expand affordable homeownership opportunities for families, seniors, and veterans in south Tallahassee.
The development will bring 17 new homes to the area, including a mix of single-family houses and duplex-style townhomes designed for income-eligible buyers. When complete, the project is expected to be the largest Community Land Trust housing project in Leon County. Construction is expected to take about 18 months.
"It is one of our most important needs currently in our community," said a speaker at the groundbreaking.
Tallahassee Lenders' Consortium CEO Karen Miller said the project is designed to serve residents who need housing support most.
"This is helping people in a very different way because we're providing housing for them at this time. This, now that we're gonna have actual homes with families in it and really focusing not just on families, but on our seniors and on our veterans, that means a lot to my entire team," Miller said.
The City of Tallahassee donated the land for the project. Funding comes from several sources, including Leon County's State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program, the city's HOME Investment Partnerships Program, and Community Redevelopment Agency funding.
Leon County Commissioner Christian Caban said collaboration between governments, nonprofits, and contractors is essential to addressing the area's housing needs.
"It takes a village. It can't just be one government or one person or one contractor or one nonprofit. It takes an all forms all effort from different governments from our nonprofit contractors. Everyone needs to work together to help provide more affordable housing," Caban said.
Local housing data underscores the demand for projects like this. According to Florida Realtors market reports based on local MLS sales, the median home price in the Tallahassee area is around $300,000.
City and county leaders say this development is part of a growing effort to help more families buy a home.
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