Finding affordable housing is tough in Deltona. Just ask the city’s mayor

DELTONA, Fla. – A Volusia County official is opening up about his own struggle to find affordable housing. Deltona’s mayor, Santiago Avila Jr., told News 6 he now has his own concerns, and he hopes the city can start bringing in more affordable housing.

“I have residents come and sit down almost on a daily basis telling me how they can’t afford to live in our city,” said Avila, who became mayor last year.

Recently, though, he has found himself in the same predicament.

“The mayor here of Deltona can’t afford to live in the city he’s the mayor of,” he said, “I have some interviews lined up already so I’m going to get myself another job and work multiple jobs.”

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A report released over the summer ranked Deltona among the more affordable cities in Florida to move, but Santiago said the state’s affordable housing data shows the greater need for residents already here.

It shows a dual-income household in Volusia County making a limit of $74,400 could afford a one-bedroom rent of $1,743.

Zillow’s estimates show as of October, the average rent in Deltona is $1,900 a month.

“There’s going to come a point where neither teachers nor firefighters, etc., are going to be able to live in the city of Deltona,” said Avila.

Florida’s recently enacted “Live Local Act” promises to bring a surge of affordable housing developments to Florida but also takes away local government’s authority over rent control and zoning.

Avila hopes to work with other city commissioners to find a way to focus on Deltona’s needs.

“We’re going to have to look at some of these developers that are coming to bring in housing and we’re going to have to tell them ‘hey, 20 or 30% of whatever you’re building is going to have to be affordable,’” he said.

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