Drill and hammer sounds echo through the adjoining properties of the former Budget Inn and Scottish Inns motels in what will become new homes for Gainesville’s most vulnerable citizens by the end of the year.
Alachua County bought the motels, located on Southwest 13th Street, to provide permanent housing for the county’s homeless population. Both motels are on separate properties, parallel to each other, and will be renovated into 67 total units.
“It actually is considered best practice to convert older motels into long term housing for unhoused residents,” said Claudia Tuck, the Alachua County Community Support Services Director.
The projected completion date for both projects was September 30 but unexpected conditions, like termite damage, existing water damage and aged sewage pipes, delayed the Budget Inn’s completion date to December. However, renovation of the Scottish Inns is still expected to be done by the end of the month.
The transformation of the motels will include new names. The Budget Inn will turn into East Tumblin Creek, while the Scottish Inns will be Forest Edge.
The Budget Inn on 4401 SW 13th St. was bought in February 2021 for $2.3 million. According to Tuck, the county’s general fund, made up of tax dollars, was used for the purchase. For construction costs, the state awarded the county the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), providing funds of $4.1 million for the renovation.
The CDBG Program “provides annual grants on a formula basis…to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons,” according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Due to all the problems encountered during renovations, the original budget was exceeded prompting a new assignment of about $400,000 to fund the rest of the project, according to Tuck.
The renovation, overseen by Gray Construction Services, will include 36 one-bedroom units. Each unit will have a kitchenette, open living space and a bathroom.
Similarly, the county purchased the Scottish Inn, located on 4341 SW13th St., in December 2023 for $1.9 million using the general fund. The property will also include a Container Home Pilot Project, something Tuck said will be called Tiny Homes.
“These are small homes built out of used shipping containers,” Mark Sexton, the Alachua County Communications Director, said.
The Scottish Inns was also purchased using the county’s general fund, but construction of the container homes couldn’t be started with that funding. Therefore, the county obtained an additional grant of $32 million to assist unhoused residents, with 25% set aside for the purchase and remodeling of the Scottish Inns under the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP2).
Unlike the Budget Inn, the Scottish Inns will have 31 efficiency units, a unit in a studio apartment with a smaller kitchenette. These units, managed by Ulloa Management Group, will include a bathroom and open living space for dining and a bed.
The container homes will be located on the north side of the property on what is currently an open grass lot lined with trees.
The leftover funding from the Scottish Inns’ renovations will provide the backing for the container homes, which Tuck said cost around $50,000 per unit.
Due to limited funding, the county hopes to place about 10 container homes. Each unit will be a single-family home of about 200 square feet and will have an open living area for a bed, a kitchenette and a bathroom. Tuck said she hopes more units will be added in the future.
“You walk in and right directly in front of you will be the kitchen area,” Parker said. “There’ll be a small refrigerator, a cooktop, and then directly to the left of that will be the bedroom [area].”
The homes will be set up like an RV park. To give it the home feeling Parker said there will be green space and a pavilion, as well as a place for community gatherings.
To fill the 67 units and container homes, Alachua County is working with homeless continuum care, like Keys to Home and GRACE Marketplace. Outreach workers will speak with unhoused people and enter their information into a database, which will then prioritize needs and be assessed by a case manager.
The Alachua County Housing Authority will be the property manager for both complexes, providing the lease. Financial assistance will be provided, with 30% of the resident’s income going toward rent.
“Anytime that you can provide low-income housing, it’s good for the community. It’s hard to look at that in any other way and not see it as something that’s going to be positive for the community,” Parker said.