ICARE celebrates Jacksonville’s affordable housing trust fund win, urges supporters to stay involved

A crowd packed into Riverside Church at Park and King Monday night as ICARE — a coalition of faith congregations across Jacksonville — celebrated what it calls a major win for affordable housing: nearly $5 million placed into the city budget to start an Affordable Housing Trust Fund.But the message from the group was not just celebratory. Organizers also urged supporters to stay engaged, saying the next step is making sure the trust fund is formally set up in law — and protected for the future.“Creating the fund was just the beginning.”What the affordable housing trust fund is meant to doICARE leaders say the trust fund is designed to be more than a one-time budget line.The Rev. Avie Kearney said the group spent months gathering input from congregations across the city and repeatedly heard the same concern: housing costs are squeezing working families and seniors.Kearney said the trust fund is intended to create a long-term pool of money the city can build on and use for programs that