Martin County Affordable Housing Plan Discussed Further
Looks like no relief in sight for working families in Martin County who have been waiting for the County to take action to promote affordable housing.
After discussing a series of initiatives formulated by the Florida Housing Coalition that would make it easier for families to afford a Florida mortgage, the county’s commission voted unanimously to continue talking about changing the county’s growth rules to achieve that goal.
In January 2005, when the South Florida housing market was near its peak, the County Commission first set the goal of trying to make it easier for working families to buy a house by changing the county’s growth rules.
Since then, the housing market has cooled and home prices have fallen, prompting commissioners to question whether they should continue to focus on promoting new housing for working families or shift to helping them buy existing ones.
Commissioner Doug Smith suggested the county consider buying houses up for sale for less than $200,000, selling just the houses to working families, and keeping ownership of the land, the most expensive factor in housing affordability.
Smith and Commission Chairman Michael DiTerlizzi also want more information about the demand for housing by families at different income levels.
“I have 50 questions here … and it starts with what is our need?” DiTerlizzi said. “Do we know how many units for sale are legitimately affordable in Martin County today? We don’t even know that number.”
In 2005, county planners estimated that there was a need for 172 houses per year that could be purchased by families with a yearly income ranging from $42,000 to $63,000.
Commissioner Lee Weberman said he wants to budget as much as $500,000 this year to jump start the affordable housing program.
“This is the year to show we’re serious about affordable housing by creating a pot of money and let’s get to it,” Weberman said.
But Commissioner Sarah Heard said the commission could show it is serious by establishing a community land trust to buy and manage land for affordable housing and requiring developers to build such housing as part of every subdivision.
Martin County put that “inclusionary housing” proposal on hold in late 2005 after the building industry sued to block a similar initiative in Leon County, which includes the Tallahassee housing market.
Dave Dew, the Democratic Party leader in Martin County, who has been asking the commissioners to take action on affordable housing for two years, said their effort deserves a grade of “incomplete.”
The focus on helping working families afford Florida mortgages to buy homes for about $200,000 fails to take into account the needs of less fortunate people, particularly seniors on a fixed income, some believe.
“That’s not an affordable price if you’re 70 years old and making $680 a month on Social Security,” Dew said. “You’re going to have to be talking about the poor as well as workforce housing. It’s two different subjects.”
Elsewhere, the County Commission asked county planners to draft changes to the county’s growth and development rules so owners of mobile home parks who want to convert them to more lucrative uses must provide affordable housing or a new mobile home park elsewhere.
The Martin County Commission unanimously approved the following staff recommendations regarding an affordable housing program:
- Authorize the Community Development Director to work with local groups considering establishing community land trusts, and non-profits that buy and hold land for affordable housing.
- Authorize the Community Development Director to begin review of the “inclusionary housing” ordinance, and other options for the County Commission to consider.
- Direct the Growth Management Director to bring back a resolution to initiate change the county’s Comprehensive Growth Management Plan to make it easier to build affordable housing.
- Direct the Community Development Director and Growth Management Director to review the recommendations by the Grants and Affordable Housing Advisory Committee on land development regulations and to draft an ordinance implementing the changes for public review.
The Florida Housing Coalition is a state organization that provides information, training and technical assistance on affordable housing and related issues.
SOURCE: TCPalm.com
