The Good News: Local Leaders Share Truths About Housing Insecurity in Nassau County
- Memorial Fernandina
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
A recent survey showed that residents of Nassau County view affordable housing as the most significant issue facing our community today. At the Wesley Dinner Club on May 21st, Pastor Charlie spoke with a panel representing eight local organizations working to help alleviate housing issues in our county. The focus was understanding the realities of these challenges and what we, as a church and community, can do to help our neighbors.
As the panel described, the issue of affordable housing, homelessness, and housing insecurity is complex. There are many different reasons someone may become homeless or face housing insecurity: from addiction to abuse, tragedy, mental illness, physical illness, job loss, or circumstances beyond their control. The stories of how people reach this point are all very different. But as Carlene McDuffie from Affording Housing, Inc. reminded the group, it does not matter how someone becomes homeless; they all have the same need. “These programs are all supporting people experiencing homelessness in different ways, but the need is the same: everyone needs shelter.”
She went on to point out one of the more obvious challenges people face: “Being a homeowner is very expensive in our area.” Because of high home prices, she said, roughly 56% of the service workforce (teachers, firefighters, police officers, etc.) live outside the county where they work. They simply cannot afford to live where they are employed. Because of the affluence of the area, housing that is labeled “affordable” is often out of reach for many.
As Zen Carver from the Nassau County Homeless Coalition noted, “Affordable for one person is not affordable for another.”
Desiree Dinkle from the Council on Aging works with elderly residents in our area. She has seen individuals who are retired and living on pensions become homeless due to unexpected illnesses, rising medical costs, or simply outliving their retirement funds. There are few options for most elderly people who become homeless. “An elderly person is not going to be able to buy a new home if they lose their house, and many cannot afford rent. So where do they go?”
That question began to echo throughout the panel: “Where do they go?”
The representatives explained that Nassau County not only lacks sufficient facilities for individuals experiencing homelessness or crisis, but that even existing programs are often not truly accessible.
Barbara Beck from Micah’s Place works with men and women, often with children, who are leaving abusive relationships. Many do not have the resources to find housing, and even when “affordable rent” is advertised, it is often misleading. Beck explained the limited number of income-based apartments in our area, noting that even those few options may offer only a small number of units at reduced rates.
She said that if the community could do one thing to alleviate housing issues, it would be keeping housing truly “affordable” - with landlords maintaining reasonable prices.
“They advertise that they are ‘affordable,’ but only offer a few apartments at the reduced rate.” She also explained that Housing and Urban Development (HUD) vouchers, which are intended to help low-income individuals, are scarce in Nassau County. “There are 38 HUD homes in Nassau County and 60 people currently holding vouchers. You do the math; There simply isn’t enough housing to match the need.”
Sandy Phipps from Angels Unaware at Gracie’s Kitchen added that even when people are finally approved for government housing, they may still be denied due to low credit scores. She shared the story of two individuals she recently worked with who were approved for housing but ultimately rejected for this reason.
“They’ve been homeless and are working their way back. How are they supposed to do that when they are denied by a program meant to help them?”
This highlights a troubling reality: even when people are doing the “right” things and working within the system, some services remain out of reach. According to McDuffie, many landlords also seem uninterested in helping ease the crisis.
“The biggest problem with affordable housing in Nassau County is greed,” McDuffie said, explaining that landlords are raising rents simply because they can—pricing many workers out of available housing.
Many panelists also noted that alongside the lack of housing options is a lack of support services addressing the root causes of homelessness.
Oliver Causon, director of Nassau Sober Living, explained that while recovery is the focus of their program, stable housing remains a major challenge. Having a safe place to live, both during and after recovery, is critical to maintaining sobriety.
“Affordable housing is important, but we also want to address the problems that lead to homelessness,” he said.
Nassau Sober Living works with residents to help them find jobs, pay rent, and access counseling while maintaining sobriety. “The average stay at our group home is six months, and we have a waiting list,” Causon said. He noted that individuals willing to lease property to the organization are urgently needed, as are in-kind donations such as vehicle maintenance. “Transportation is essential. We have four older vans, but they need repairs and gas. Funding alone doesn’t solve the problem, but it helps bridge the gap.”
Zen Carver added that the factors contributing to housing insecurity must be addressed alongside access to shelter. “There is a high illiteracy rate among people experiencing homelessness. They may not be able to read or complete the forms required to receive assistance.”
Jennifer Pault from The Arc Nassau explained that her clients, whom she refers to as “friends”, face housing challenges for different reasons, but the core issue remains affordability. The Arc provides support for adults with physical or intellectual disabilities, but strict state guidelines limit access to assistance.
“The challenge is working within state funding rules. If one of our friends has even one dollar over $2,000 in savings, they lose their services.”
She added that the expectation that someone can afford housing with $2,000 in savings does not reflect reality. “The people I work with will likely never be able to purchase a home,” she said.
The Arc is working to expand group home opportunities in Nassau County. “We currently have two group homes that house six people each, so we are only serving 12 individuals,” Pault said. The organization is actively working to secure additional homes to meet growing needs.
It is not only older adults who face housing and transportation challenges, children and teens are affected as well. Molly Cressy from the Nassau County Schools McKinney-Vento Program explained, “We don’t focus on whether our clients are earning a living, because most are students. If they are without stable shelter, even living in a motel or a car, we can help.”
She shared the story of a high school senior who was sleeping in parks and laundry rooms. “We had to find emergency shelter for him and provide transportation so he could continue attending school.” She noted a significant lack of emergency shelter options, especially for young people.
Several panelists also emphasized that most individuals without housing do not have reliable transportation. With limited resources spread across distant areas, such as on Amelia Island or in Yulee, Callahan, and Hilliard, many cannot access the services they need.
Sandy Phipps echoed this concern. “The few kitchens and food pantries that are open are often far apart. There are so few resources, and it’s difficult for people to reach them.”
As the discussion concluded, Zen Carver offered a final reminder: “Along with shelter, people need love. That is also a crucial step.”
Pastor Charlie thanked the panelists for helping the community better understand the challenges their neighbors are facing. He encouraged those in attendance to continue learning about these organizations and to support their efforts.
Pault suggested that one simple way to help is to stay engaged: visit the organizations’ websites, follow them on social media, share their stories, and talk with others about the work being done. Encouraging friends and neighbors to support these efforts can make a meaningful difference. (The websites and Facebook pages for all the organization in attendance can be found below.)
The Wesly Dinner Club is now on hiatus for the summer. If you have suggestions of topics or issues that you would like to learn more about in this type of program in the future, please email CarrieMac@mumconline.com We’d love to hear from you!
----------------------------
Coalition for the Homeless of Nassau County: chnassau.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chnassau
Nassau Sober Living: https://nassausoberliving.com/Facebook: www.facebook.com/soberlivingNF
The Nassau Council on Aging: https://www.nassaucountycouncilonaging.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NassauCountyCOA
Nassau County Schools McKinney-Vento Program: https://www.nassau.k12.fl.us/o/ncsd/page/homelessfamilies-in-transition-fit
Affordable Housing First: affordablehousing1st.org
The Arc Nassau: https://thearcnassau.org/
Gracie’s Kitchen/ Angels Unaware: gracieskitchenyulee.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/gracieskitchenyulee
Comments