Low-income housing project receives extra funding

The construction of low-income housing planned for Gainesville received a monetary boost Tuesday.

During a County Commission meeting, commissioners unanimously passed a motion to pay Banyan Development $37,500, enough money for the firm to apply for a tax credit to help with construction costs.

The credit would pay 8 to 9 percent of the costs of building the housing, said Alexander Kiss, a company representative.

Construction of the property, which would be located near Interstate 75, is not expected to begin until 2017, Kiss said. It will cost between $15 million and $18 million.

Commissioner Lee Pinkoson, who represents District 2, said the housing would provide low-income residents much-needed relief.

“This is exactly what we need in this community,” he said.

Earlier in the meeting, a representative from Meridian Behavioral Healthcare requested $186,000 in additional funding from the county to increase the wages paid to its workers to at least $12.50 per hour.

The commission unanimously voted to review the clinic’s request at the next budget meeting if Meridian can provide more structured data to support the wage increase.

Commissioners also requested more data regarding the diversity of managers and supervisors employed by Alachua County.

The county’s Equal Opportunities Office now has 30 days to find and present that information, which could affect the hiring process for county positions.