This report is the product of a partnership between the Marion County Housing Finance Authority (MCHFA) and the Florida Housing Coalition (the Coalition). Building on previous work in the City and County, including the “2017 Marion Home Matters Report”, the “CEP Economic Update”, and “An Analysis of Residential Market Potential for the Downtown Ocala Study Area”, this report provides recommendations to improve and preserve affordability supported by a broad overview of the trends affecting affordable housing in the City and County and local capacity to increase the supply of affordable housing.

The Coalition’s work was done in three parts. First, the Coalition produced a housing, economic, and demographic analysis of the area to examine underlying factors impacting the cost and supply of units affordable to the workforce. Second, the team reviewed City and County land development regulations, available funding sources, and interviewed dozens of stakeholders from the local government, nonprofit, and for-profit business sector to assess local capacity. Finally, based on a culmination of parts one and two, FHC drafted a set of recommendations to target the issues and weaknesses uncovered in the first two steps.