Sanford Commission Drops The Ball On Affordable Housing—To Build A Ball Field

Sanford, FL

A decade an a half after demolishing the nearly 8 acres of affordable housing “projects” in Sanford, the City Commission has finally voted on an actual plan for the designated property that once housed thousands. The Sanford Housing Authority (SHA) will be selling the land to the City for $760,000, with an additional development service fee of $90,000 for the future housing development of the Castle Brewer Court parcels—making the grand total of the deal $850,000.

In the once vibrant heart of Goldsboro, the Sanford Housing Authority once oversaw and operated five public housing sites, comprising a grand total of 380 family units. However, in a twist of fate, these sites were deemed uninhabitable by the discerning eye of HUD in 2010. In response, the resilient residents were provided with Housing Choice Vouchers, facilitating their relocation to alternative accommodations. Subsequently, the former abodes were razed to the ground, leaving behind a sprawling expanse of 47.9 acres of untamed, vacant land, ripe with possibilities and awaiting a new chapter in it’s story.

It’s hard not to understand why residents are so upset. After all, they have been lied to and manipulated throughout the entire process. From the start, the closing of the “Projects” was meant to be nothing more than a temporary exodus of proud people from their rightful home. Almost every indication from government officials hinted at the future return of housing that would sustain a sense of generational community in the neighborhood which once served as the heart of African American culture in Central Florida. In fact, it wasn’t hinted at all—it was spelled out clear as day.

For instance, in 2017, the City Of Sanford published a lengthy 114 page report, titled UNLOCKING GOLDSBORO’S POTENTIAL: A TRANSFORMATION PLAN TO GUIDE FUTURE INVESTMENTS AND PARTNERSHIPS. In this plan, they comb through several actions they can take in order to revitalize Goldsboro. By far, the most mentioned plans of action involved the concern for affordable housing. The report correctly mentions that “The community has expressed a strong desire to increase homeownership opportunities in Goldsboro – to stabilize the community and to give former residents who want to purchase homes the opportunity to return to their community”. They go on to propose several too good to be true promises like large scale single family homes and the development of a grid style developments that increase a sense of unity.

That seems to be one of Sanford’s major problems. They regularly spend large amounts of time, energy, and funds to conduct studies and draw up reports like their Comprehensive Plan , or the report mentioned above, but rarely follow through with them. Both plans are littered with tall tales that never came to fruition. They have literally laid out the importance of affordable housing, how to uptake affordable housing, what the affordable housing should look like, and somehow never manage to actually address the issue—other than periodically throwing up a small apartment or few homes to make it look like real progress is being made.

District 2 Commissioner Kerry Wiggins argues that the less than one million received from the newly acquired properties will go a long way towards building more affordable housing in the future. Regardless if this is true, any future housing initiatives will likely draw residents further from Goldsboro. If the past is any indicator of what is to come, then don’t hold your breath. The city commission has a bad history of building things where they don’t go (like a nursing home on Marina Isle) & not building things where they should be (like parking Downtown). Commissioner Wiggins and the majority of the City Council seem content to continue this long lasting tradition.

In retrospect, as a lifetime resident of Goldsboro Fl, I welcome the new recreational facility with open arms. I hope that it serves residents, especially the young ones, with a lifetime of meaningful uses. With that being said, I regret that the children who play there will ultimately grow up to realize that the amusing recreational facility that serves the entire city, is the reason why they are no longer allowed to occupy the historical lands that their families have lived on for several generations—leaving Goldsboro as a commute, not a community.