Meeting the Demand: New Housing Developments Shaping Gainesville’s Future

Gainesville is growing—and fast. As more people move to our area, especially from southeast and southwest Florida, the need for housing is more urgent than ever. According to the University of Florida’s Shimberg Center for Housing Studies, Alachua County needs more than 5,000 additional housing units by 2030 just to keep up.

With rising home prices and wages lagging behind, many local workers are commuting from outside the county simply because they can’t find affordable options close to their jobs. Currently, to afford a single-family home in Alachua County, a buyer would need to earn around $65/hour—or $41/hour just to rent.

But there’s good news on the horizon.

Several new housing developments are rising to meet this demand:

✅ Archer Place recently broke ground and is set to bring 92 luxury units with penthouses, a climate-controlled pool, fitness and business centers, and even a clubhouse kitchen. It’s expected to be completed by December 2026.

✅ Jessie’s Village, developed by the Hutchinson Foundation and the City of Gainesville, is bringing 22 affordable apartments to southeast Gainesville.

✅ Bright Community Trust is also making strides with 10 affordable single-family homes, four of which have already been completed. Their model allows income-qualified buyers to own homes while leasing the land at a low cost.

✅ The City of Gainesville is also embracing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). With two prototypes already underway and free plans available to the public, homeowners will soon have more options to expand their property’s potential.

While the housing crunch won’t be solved overnight, these innovative and collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors are steps in the right direction. At The Whitney Perkins Team we are keeping a close eye on these developments so we can help more families achieve their version of the American Dream—right here in Gainesville. If you have been thinking about buying or selling please do not hesitate to give our team a call!

To learn more about the recent real estate developments in Gainesville take a look at this article from Main Street Daily News.