City of Jacksonville considers using millions for workforce development and affordable housing
On Tuesday, June 24th, the Jacksonville City Council will vote on a piece of legislation that would allocate $45 million in funds to projects across the city.
$30 million of those dollars would go towards downtown investments, $3 million would go towards affordable housing, and $12 million would support workforce development.
Councilman Raul Arias has worked to allocate funding towards the city's workforce and housing initiatives.
'We have a shortage of skilled workers here in town, and so because of that, it's on demand. And because it's on demand, you're paying high prices for plumbers, electricians to come to your house… to come do services.'
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
The councilman says the city's shortage of tradesmen has skyrocketed prices and increased wait times for services. He hopes the funding will go towards trade programs like the one at Florida State College at Jacksonville.
'Right now, we're kind of at capacity,' Jill Johnson said.
Johnson is a spokesperson for FSCJ and says the investment from the city could expand courses at the college's Cecil Center campus.
'We have looked at some space out at Cecil Center, where we know we can expand and provide more opportunities to students. So being able to provide that many more workers out into our community is going to be a benefit to everyone,' Johnson explained.
The dollars for workforce development would also go towards Jacksonville University's Youth Sports Project and the Downtown Preservation and Revitalization Program.
The councilman's push for investments in the city's affordable housing could largely benefit areas like the Southside and the Beaches, too. Arias says those places are often left out.
'You have a lot of individuals that work in those parts of town, but they live maybe 30 minutes away. Why? Because there's not enough affordable housing in those parts of town,' Arias said.
The councilman says the Mayor's office is working to secure grant match dollars that could turn that $3 million investment into a $12 million investment, ultimately making more room for the city's cost-efficient housing.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
10 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Republican senate tax bill would add $3.3 trillion to the US debt load, CBO says
WASHINGTON (AP) — The changes made to President Donald Trump's big tax bill in the Senate would pile trillions onto the nation's debt load while resulting in even steeper losses in health care coverage, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said in a new analysis, adding to the challenges for Republicans as they try to muscle the bill to passage. The CBO estimates the Senate bill would increase the deficit by nearly $3.3 trillion from 2025 to 2034, a nearly $1 trillion increase over the House-passed bill, which CBO has projected would add $2.4 to the debt over a decade. The analysis also found that 11.8 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034 if the bill became law, an increase over the scoring for the House-passed version of the bill, which predicts 10.9 million more people would be without health coverage. The stark numbers are yet another obstacle for Republican leaders as they labor to pass Trump's bill by his self-imposed July 4th deadline. Even before the CBO's estimate, Republicans were at odds over the contours of the legislation, with some resisting the cost-saving proposals to reduce spending on Medicaid and food aid programs even as other Republicans say those proposals don't go far enough. Republicans are slashing the programs as a way to help cover the cost of extending some $3.8 trillion in Trump tax breaks put in place during his first term. The push-pull was on vivid display Saturday night as a routine procedural vote to take up the legislation in the Senate was held open for hours as Vice President JD Vance and Republican leaders met with several holdouts. The bill ultimately advanced in a 51-49 vote, but the path ahead is fraught, with voting on amendments still to come. Still, many Republicans are disputing the CBO estimates and the reliability of the office's work. To hoist the bill to passage, they are using a different budget baseline that assumes the Trump tax cuts expiring in December have already been extended, essentially making them cost-free in the budget. The CBO on Saturday released a separate analysis of the GOP's preferred approach that found the Senate bill would reduce deficits by about $500 billion. Democrats and economists decry the GOP's approach as 'magic math' that obscures the true costs of the GOP tax breaks. In addition, Democrats note that under the traditional scoring system, the Republican bill bill would violate the Senate's 'Byrd Rule' that forbids the legislation from increasing deficits after 10 years. In a Sunday letter to Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, CBO Director Phillip Swagel said the office estimates that the Finance Committee's portion of the bill, also known as Title VII, 'increases the deficits in years after 2034' under traditional scoring.
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (WBA) Has Surprised Jim Cramer With Earnings
Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBA) is one of the . Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBA) is the embattled pharmacy retailer which is going private. Its shares have gained 24.6% year-to-date primarily on the back of its deal to go private. Cramer has frequently discussed the stock this year. In his earlier appearances, the CNBC host has praised the deal as he was worried that Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBA) would become a 'zombie' otherwise. This time around he discussed the firm's latest quarter and explained why the shares hadn't moved despite the upbeat results: 'Positive news here in the M&A front. Walgreens. Sycamore's buying them. They reported a very good quarter last night. First upside surprise that I can recall. Remember Sycamore's getting the actual drug stores. But I think this is actually very hopeful for Sweeney and his team. I also think David that perhaps, they get to sell some of these healthcare clinic businesses and you're gonna find that this is, it's going to work. I can't believe it. A pharmacist discussing the health benefits of a prescription medication with a customer. Cramer discussed Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBA) after Sycamore decided the acquire the firm. Here's what he said: 'A few weeks ago, Walgreens decided to sell out to a private equity firm, a storied name. See you later. The company that's buying them? Sycamore. I think this was a great deal for Walgreens because otherwise, I figured it would go the way of the zombie firm…. But let's see if things have gotten better or if maybe, there's some real buyer's remorse. Nothing would shock me.' While we acknowledge the potential of WBA as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Sign in to access your portfolio
Washington Post
13 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina won't seek reelection after opposing Trump's bill
WASHINGTON — Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said Sunday he will not seek reelection, a day after announcing his opposition to President Donald Trump's tax breaks and spending cuts package because of its reductions to health care programs. Tillis said he was proud of his career in public service but acknowledged the difficult political environment for those who buck their party and go it alone.
