Ability Housing

Ability Housing of Northeast Florida is a nonprofit, 501c3 charitable organization. The agency began in 1986 as a dream – to help adults with developmental disabilities improve their quality of life. The dream became a reality in 1992 as Ability Housing (then known as Grove House of Jacksonville) opened the doors of a quality group home for six adults with developmental disabilities.

Shortly after opening the group home, the agency expanded to provide community based supported living services to adults with developmental and acquired disabilities. Through community based services, the supports go to the individual in their home rather than requiring the individual live in a facility in order to receive services.

In response to the disability population’s dire need for quality affordable housing, in 1998 the agency turned its attention to housing. Ability Housing began a pilot housing program; in 1999, the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council designated the program a state demonstration site for the development of an affordable housing model for individuals with developmental disabilities.

In 2004, Ability Housing evolved into an agency dedicated solely to developing and operating affordable rental housing, focusing on the housing needs of the community’s most vulnerable citizens. The agency was approached by the local homeless coalition and asked to help implement the community’s Ten-Year Blueprint to End Homelessness. Ability Housing assessed the community’s need and realized there was a void in the housing continuum; there was no permanent housing for individuals and families ready to move from shelter and transitional housing programs. Ability Housing assessed its capacity and determined the agency could address that need and Ability Housing became the only agency in our community dedicated solely to addressing the permanent housing needs of the community’s most vulnerable residents.

Ability Housing’s mission is to provide quality, affordable, community inclusive housing for individuals and families at risk of homelessness and adults with a disability. The foundation of this mission is not the housing created but the residents of the housing and the neighborhoods they live in. The output is housing units; the outcomes are an improved quality of life for each resident and the community.

Today, Ability Housing is the only organization in our community with the focus of developing and operating quality, affordable, rental housing that:

• stabilizes and revitalizes neighborhoods effected by detrimental rental properties;reduces crime and blight;
• improves the quality of life of the resident, the neighborhood and the broader community;
• preserves existing affordable housing;
• improves neighborhood property values;
• provides housing affordable to the community’s most vulnerable households; and
• provides a permanent solution to the homeless issue plaguing our community.

All Ability Housing residents are low-income, earning 80% or less of the Area Median Income (AMI). Most are very low-income; earning 50% or less of the AMI; and extremely low-income, earning 30% or less of the AMI.

“Ability Housing is taking a real leadership role in the Jacksonville community on issues related to low-income and affordable housing. We look forward to working with them as we strive to improve the quality of life for everyone in our community,” stated Audrey McKibbin Moran, President and CEO of The Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless.