Northside School Transformed into Affordable Housing

Village at Lake Forest development aims to address Jacksonville's housing shortage

Apr. 15, 2026 at 10:51pm

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A bold, colorful silkscreen-style illustration featuring a repeating icon of a simple apartment building in shades of blue, green, and orange, conveying the concept of an affordable housing community.A new affordable housing development in Jacksonville aims to provide more accessible options for working families and public school employees.Today in Jacksonville

City officials in Jacksonville, Florida broke ground on a new affordable housing project called Village at Lake Forest, which will convert a former elementary school site into 120 apartment units. The development is designed to serve working families, educators, and others who want to remain in their communities, with 25% of the units reserved for Duval County Public Schools employees. The project will also include an early learning center to serve residents and the surrounding area.

Why it matters

Jacksonville is facing a significant housing shortage, with the mayor estimating the city is about 50,000 units short of what is needed. This new affordable housing development is part of the city's efforts to address this challenge and provide more accessible housing options for working-class residents and public sector employees.

The details

The Village at Lake Forest development will be located at the former site of Lake Forest Elementary School, which closed in 2019. The 120-unit apartment complex will offer units for households earning up to 60% and 80% of the Area Median Income, with rents ranging from $900 to $1,500 per month for a two-bedroom unit. A quarter of the units will be reserved for Duval County Public Schools employees, including teachers and other staff, in an effort to help the district recruit and retain talent.

  • The former Lake Forest Elementary School site has sat vacant since the school closed in 2019.
  • City officials broke ground on the Village at Lake Forest affordable housing project on April 15, 2026.

The players

Donna Deegan

The mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, who stated the city is about 50,000 housing units short of what is needed.

Reggie Fullwood

The CEO of Ability Housing, the developer behind the Village at Lake Forest project.

Jim Culbert

The Chief Operations Officer of Duval County Public Schools, which will reserve 25% of the units for its employees.

Duval County Public Schools

The local school district that is partnering on the Village at Lake Forest development.

Ability Housing

The affordable housing developer leading the Village at Lake Forest project.

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What they’re saying

“We're about 50,000 units short of what we really need. We've added about 7,000 so far since I've been in office.”

— Donna Deegan, Mayor of Jacksonville

“For a standard two-bedroom unit, we're talking about anywhere... between $900 to $1,500 based on your income.”

— Reggie Fullwood, CEO of Ability Housing

“It just gives us one more way to recruit and retain teachers by providing them with affordable housing.”

— Jim Culbert, Chief Operations Officer of Duval County Public Schools

What’s next

The Village at Lake Forest affordable housing development is expected to be completed and open for residents in 2027.

The takeaway

This affordable housing project at a former school site serves as a model for how cities can leverage underutilized public properties to address housing shortages and provide more accessible options for working families and public sector employees.