Current Issue Work
Affordable Housing
Who Deserves a Place to Stay? Everyone, Everyday!
​JUST Pensacola Calls for Permanent Affordable Rental Housing with
Northwest Community Land Trust
At the 2025 Nehemiah Action, we called on County Commissioners Mike Kohler and Steve Stroberger to take action by identifying parcels of land to dedicate for permanent affordable housing by September 15 — and they agreed.
On September 4, the Board of Escambia County Commissioners approved a list of 16 county-owned properties suitable for use as affordable housing.
In January 2026, Habitat for Humanity’s Land & Assets Team reviewed and assessed for buildability, infrastructure access, and suitability for CLT use.
In February, Pensacola Habitat for Humanity formally requested 9 of the 16 parcels for the County to donate to the NW Community Land Trust.
We await the County Commissioners’ vote of approval, anticipating that all 9 parcels will be donated to the Community Land Trust for both permanent home ownership as well as rental builds.​​
Affordable Housing Problem Statement
Escambia County has a housing crisis.
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Our Affordable Housing Committee identified a severe, persistent, and growing gap in what folks can afford to rent and available rental units in Pensacola/Escambia County. People working full-time jobs still don’t make enough to live here. Many are cost burdened, meaning that they pay more than 30% of their gross income on rent and utilities.
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According to research completed for the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, over 2,000 children do not have a stable place to lay their heads at night. ​
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Between 2021 and 2022, all 7800 new rental units built cost more than $1200/month.
Escambia County median wage is $19.54/hour, meaning a resident who has a year-round, full-time job cannot afford $1200 in rent. This means that none of the newly constructed apartments available for rent are affordable for residents with year-round full-time jobs.
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3 out of 4 households renting in Escambia County at the 80% Area Median Income level or lower are cost burdened (they pay more than 30% of their gross income on rent and utilities).
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In our communities there are 23,378 people who need affordable rental housing, according to the Florida Housing Data Clearinghouse.​​
Creating a Solution
The committee researched and proposed a solution: building homes for ownership or for rent in a community land trust, which ensures that the property will remain affordable forever. This approach builds permanent, community-based affordable housing, which is a long-term investment in stability, dignity, and equity. It encourages the upward mobility of marginalized groups by giving them an “open door” to home ownership.
The committee developed a relationship with Pensacola Habitat for Humanity to oversee the Northwest Community Land Trust. They agreed to build affordable rental homes on land donated to the land trust. On May 6, 2025, over 700 members and their friends and family attended our Nehemiah Action Assembly. JUST got public commitments from two Escambia County Commissioners to donate parcels of land to the Northwest Florida Community Land Trust for affordable housing by September 2025.
"Who cannot afford to live here?" Photo of JUST Pensacola Volunteers displaying signs of different jobs that don’t cover local housing costs. Credit to Jeb Hunt, 2023.
The Affordable Housing Steering Committee consists of Carol Lewis, Robin May, Jeb Hunt, Rev Deborah Epps, and Rev. Joan Wooten.
Past committee members include Betty Fortner, Bogusia Skudrzyk, Catherine Barnett, Carol Lewis, Chris Shawyer, Clara Ann Wilhoit, Craig Iversen, Debbie Scobie, Dennis O'Brien, Donna Pruett, Eden Craig, Grace Snowden, Honor Bell III, James Johnson, Jean Blackmon, Ken Pyle, Kevin Parekh, Kyrah Drasheff, Leslie Yandle, Lorrie Wilkinson, Lori Menger, Madeline Parekh, Margie McKinnon, Marian Bennett, Mike Potters, Patricia Porter, Pat Franklin, Penny Featherstone, Penny Lynn Fendt, Rev. John Fountain, Skip Vogelsang, Val Cortesa-Smith, and Dr. Ed Witek.