MONROE COUNTY
DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
WORKFORCE HOUSING TASKFORCE
SUMMARY OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO DATE
August 2007
Monroe County BOCC empanelled the Workforce Housing Taskforce in June 2005. The taskforce consists of members of the community with experience and expertise in housing affordability. To this volunteer taskforce, the BOCC has committed the resources of the County Attorney’s office, the Growth Management Division and the Housing and Community Development Division.
BOCC’s commitment to support the hard work of Taskforce members with both in-house staff, and outside legal counsel that focuses specifically on the Taskforce’s recommendations, has made this the most productive of any housing-related advisory committee or taskforce in the past 25 years in Monroe County.
The most direct and immediate impact of the Workforce Housing Taskforce is the development of 178 new homes in the Park Village, Islander Village and Flagler Village developments in Stock Island as well as a number of new employee housing units all currently under construction. The initiatives and reforms advocated by the Taskforce are also reflected in most, if not all, of the affordable and workforce housing projects (with a potential of 350 additional new units) currently under review in the County’s planning department.
To promote the creation and preservation of affordable housing, reduce development costs, and help ensure that the private sector does not use all the developable residential land in the County for middle and upper income housing only, the Monroe County Workforce Housing Taskforce supported, encouraged, enhanced, or developed the following housing affordability resolutions and ordinances:
- Increased Density Allowances for Affordable and Workforce Housing;
- Development of a model 99-Year Ground Lease to protect in perpetuity all future Monroe County-assisted affordable and workforce housing;
- 65% Purchase and Development Program;
- Waiver of Permit and Application Fees to reduce development costs;
- Waiver of Impact Fees to reduce development costs;
- Resolution calling for legislative support for property tax exemptions for affordable residential rental properties;
- Resolution requesting the implementation of long-term, stable funding sources for future affordable/workforce housing initiatives;
- Implemented 70% gainful employment in Monroe County requirement to qualify for workforce housing to preserve our essential workforce;
- Allowance of 20% market rates as part of affordable/workforce housing to promote income diversity and provide financial incentives;
- Establishment of deed restrictions on market rate units that are part of affordable developments to full-time, year-round Monroe County residents who earn 70% of their income in the county to preserve these homes for workforce and guard against use as second home or vacation uses;
- Emergency Housing Ordinance that facilitates replacement of lost or damaged housing after hurricanes;
- Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance requiring that 30% of all new and redevelopment to be designated as affordable or workforce housing and establishing an Affordable Housing Trust Fund for in-lieu payments;
- Established a Moderate Income category to allow families at up to 160% of median income to qualify for affordable/workforce housing in recognition that families with moderate incomes are also struggling with housing affordability in this high cost county;
- Established policy for set-asides of affordable ROGO allocations to enhance certainty of projects;
- Employee Housing Incentive that excludes the floor area for employee housing from the calculation of total commercial floor area that can be lawfully established on site;
- Employee Housing Fair Share Impact Fee requiring new or expanding commercial enterprises to help mitigate their impact on the already strained housing market;
- Advocated that additional ROGO points granted for lot donations that are useable for affordable and workforce housing
- Modification of Maximum Sales Prices for Affordable and Workforce Housing to incentivize the development of units with greater number of bedrooms;
- Unified Coordination ordinance encouraging and facilitating joint cooperation among the Key’s various jurisdictions in efforts to develop affordable/workforce housing;
- Resolution requesting BOCC adopt certain guidelines for the use of Chapter 380 agreements for preserving affordable housing at trailer park sites;
- Mobile Home Park Preservation Ordinance to preserve current trailer parks as sites for present and future affordable and workforce housing; currently under review and scheduled for DRC 8/21/07.
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