03/24/2026
🏡 Big news for Jacksonville! The City just launched a new homeownership program to help low-income buyers achieve the dream of owning a home.
With up to $25,000 in assistance available, this could be a game changer for many families in our community.
If you’ve been thinking about buying but didn’t know where to start — this might be your opportunity.
📩 Message me to see if you qualify or to get started!
The City of Jacksonville is proud to announce the launch the SHIP Single-Family Development Program to increase affordable homeownership opportunities for very low-income households. It will initially build 10 affordable homes and pair eligible buyers with down payment assistance to purchase them.
The new program utilizes State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) funds to provide short-term construction loans to non-profit developers to build new single-family homes that will be sold to buyers earning at or below 50% of Area Median Income (AMI), which is $35,900 per year for a single person household or $51,250 per year for a family of four.
The loans will be fully repaid to the city at the home’s closing, allowing the funds to be reused for additional housing projects. This “revolving loan approach” will maximize the impact of SHIP funding while supporting the ongoing production of affordable units.
“The SHIP Single-Family Development Program provides a practical, sustainable strategy for building more housing that is affordable,” said Housing and Community Development Division Chief Travis Jeffrey. “By leveraging short-term construction loans that are repaid at closing, the city will create a continuous pipeline of new homes for families who need them most.”
The benefits of the SHIP Single-Family Development Program include:
• Expanding Jacksonville’s affordable housing supply for very low-income families.
• Promoting homeownership and helping families build equity and stability.
• Strengthening neighborhoods through new construction and increased owner occupancy.
• Reinvesting public funds to create a long-term, sustainable funding source for future development.
Funding for this project was made possible by Ordinance #2026-0065-E, which was unanimously approved by the Jacksonville City Council in late February. It appropriates $2 million towards the program, including $1.5 million in construction loans and $500,000 for down payment assistance. The City of Jacksonville Housing and Community Development Division is currently finalizing a construction RFP that will go through a transparent procurement process.
Stay posted as we finalize application process details that will be announced as soon as possible. If you are interested in the SHIP Program, you can call 630-CITY or submit a service request online to be placed into our database.
