Escambia County’s affordable housing shortage is leaving more families priced out of homeownership, but one model already in motion is helping change that. The Northwest Florida Community Land Trust (CLT), launched locally by Pensacola Habitat for Humanity, has already put new homeowners into houses they can afford to keep. Last week, county commissioners dug deeper into how the program works and how it might be expanded to help more residents.
Support Local Stories. Support Public Media.
Pensacola Habitat for Humanity President Sam Young presented the CLT as part of a broader strategy to address housing needs at multiple income levels. He outlined Habitat’s portfolio, which includes a traditional program serving 60 to 80% of the area median income, workforce housing for those earning 80 to 120%, a new rental program offering three-bedroom, two-bath homes for $1,200 to $1,300 a month, and HUD-certified homebuyer counseling.
“The Community Land Trust fills in that missing piece,” Young said. “When you combine it with our other programs, you have a full-service approach to housing in Escambia County.”
Young noted that wages in the county have doubled over the past 25 years, while housing costs have quadrupled. “The gap is getting bigger every year,” he said.
He explained that under a CLT, the Trust keeps ownership of the land and sells the home separately through a 99-year ground lease. This arrangement lowers the purchase price and uses a resale formula to maintain affordability for future buyers.
RELATED: Escambia County, Pensacola Habitat celebrate 15 new affordable homes
Young offered this example to show how the system works. A home valued at $220,000 could be sold for $155,000 after removing the land value and applying down payment assistance. If that home later appreciated to $400,000, the seller would receive their paid principal plus 25% of the appreciation — about $32,000 in profit. The resale price would then be about $186,000, well below market value.
“This is how you stop affordable homes from disappearing in just one sale,” Young said.
Commissioners highlighted the CLT’s potential to prevent displacement. Commissioner Lumon May recalled cases of revitalized neighborhoods where long-term residents could no longer afford to stay.
“We have to make sure we are protecting people who have lived here for generations,” May said. “This model lets them build equity without losing affordability for the next family.”
Commissioner Steve Stroberger praised the CLT as “permanent affordable housing” and said Habitat could serve as “a housing office for the county” that directs people to the right path, whether rental, traditional Habitat homes, or CLT ownership.
Later in the day, during the regular Board of County Commissioners meeting, Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger announced that her district had donated two parcels to the Northwest Florida Community Land Trust and challenged others to do the same.
“I hope my colleagues will consider donating properties to help with the affordable housing crisis in our community,” Hofberger said. “If you are a business owner and you submit over $100,000 in sales tax to the state, you can actually opt to have that tax money go directly to Habitat for Humanity and provide affordable housing in our community. It is no cost to you. Please reach out to my office… and we can help connect you with the people at Habitat to move forward.”
