Item D13r
County of Monroe BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Mayor David Rice, District 4
The Florida Keys Mayor Pro Tern Sylvia J. Murphy, District 5
Danny L. Kolhage, District 1
George Neugent, District 2
Heather Carruthers, District 3
County Commission Meeting
December 13, 2017
Agenda Item Number: D.13
Agenda Item Summary #3687
SECOND REVISED BACKUP: Now includes a total of (6) news articles/links published by:
Miami Herald; flkeysnews; USA Today News - Press; WLRN; Keys Weekly; keysnews
BULK ITEM: No DEPARTMENT: BOCC District 3
TIME APPROXIMATE: STAFF CONTACT: Carol Schreck (305) 292 -3430
11:30 A.M.
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Discussion and direction regarding a proposed post -Irma
workforce housing plan and request for funding and support from the State of Florida.
ITEM BACKGROUND:
For decades, there has been discussion regarding the lack of affordable workforce housing for full -
time residents of the Keys. Hurricane Irma has greatly exacerbated this crisis, as the often sub-
standard structures (mobile and manufactured homes and homes not constructed to the current wind -
load and elevation requirements) that served as de facto workforce and affordable housing were
more likely to be destroyed than more expensive, sturdier structures.
As presented in the November 29, 2017 special meeting on housing, 4,156 structures county -wide
(1,996 in unincorporated areas) received either major damage or were destroyed by Irma -- and this
does not include a full accounting of lost mobile homes which served as full -time residences. The
cost to repair or replace these structures to meet current building codes will be significant, and if the
structure was a rental unit, landlords will likely be forced to pass those costs onto tenants, thus
increasing the already high cost of housing. Many businesses are already reporting that they have
lost employees due to the damage from Irma and the difficulty in finding alternative housing.
The County's Affordable Housing Task Force met for a year and developed a series of proposals to
help address the crisis that existed before the storm, several were discussed during the November 29,
2017 special meeting, and several have been worked on to include in our 2030 Comprehensive Plan.
Barriers to construct workforce housing still remain, both in terms of funding and regulations. Some
of these continuing barriers were discussed at the special housing meeting and may be further
refined.
In the wake of Hurricane Irma, several sources of funding to help rebuild lost structures and address
the workforce housing crisis have become available. This includes $230M in the Governor's budget
for affordable housing statewide with $20M specifically for the Keys, and $100M for housing in the
hardest -hit areas recommended by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. The attached draft
housing plan outlines a request to the State for funding to assist in workforce housing development
and regulatory support to help accelerate the process. Specifically, we are requesting:
- Funding of more tax credit projects in the Keys
- A legislative appropriation for $20M to acquire defunct for -sale trailer parks
- Inclusion of our housing recommendations into the Hurricane Committee statewide
recommendations
With Commission approval, this will be sent to the Governor, our legislators and officials from
appropriate agencies that can fulfill our request.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION:
CONTRACT /AGREEMENT CHANGES:
n/a
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
DOCUMENTATION:
Florida Keys Hurricane Recovery Housing Recommendations 12 -5_v2
CHART of AHAC RECOMMENDATIONS _Dec 6 BOCC_direction_12.4.17
County housing strategy - Rising Above Recovery
Printable Miami Herald Article "It was hard to find cheap housing in the Keys before Irma. Now,
there's 'nothing'" Re BPK Homeowners Impacted by Hurricane Irma
Link to Miami Herald Article "It was hard to find cheap housing in the Keys before Irma. Now,
there's 'nothing'" re BPK Homeowners Impacted by Hurricane Irma
flkeysnews.com LK Chamber of Commerce BPK Letter to the Editor "Irma lays bare Florida Keys'
housing crisis"
USA Today News -Press Article "Florida Keys - Help wanted but no place to house it"
WLRN Article "Keys Governments Start Looking At Their Own Land For Housing Solutions"
Keys Weekly article " "This is not rocket science" School Board housing - Hurricane Irma Recovery
keysnews.com article "Scott's budget proposed $20M for Keys housing" Hurricane Irma Recovery
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
To be determined after discussion and staff direction
19 All 1 * DI 11 :1
Mayte Santamaria Completed
Heather Carruthers Completed
Bob Shillinger Completed
Kathy Peters Completed
12/04/2017 11:55 AM
12/05/2017 3:35 PM
12/05/2017 4:08 PM
12/05/2017 4:17 PM
:!�
Board of County Commissioners Pending 12/13/2017 9:00 AM
Florida Keys
Post - Hurricane
Affordable Housing Recovery and Rebuilding
Recommendations and Action Plan
Goal:
To secure land, funding, and regulatory incentives to develop 300 -40o new
units of Affordable and Workforce Housing for residents with incomes
averaging 6o% of AMI in 2o18.
This is intended to offer a set of recommendations for what can be practically
accomplished in the next two years to address the immediate need for the
rebuilding of affordable /workforce housing in the Florida Keys.
Request:
1. Request $3o million in SAIL funding to match with Low Income Housing Tax
credits
2. Request $4 million in housing tax credits from FHFC (to use with SAIL
funding)
3. Request $20 million in additional funds for Monroe County to help purchase
Trailer Park properties and other sites for affordable housing;
4. Authorize the Monroe County Land Authority the flexibility to utilize its funds
for the construction/ development of affordable housing;
5. Dedicate one of the two currently unutilized Tourist Development Tax pennies
for affordable housing, limiting this use for a period of two years.
Need:
The challenges facing citizens of finding and securing affordable housing in Monroe
County are not new but have increased exponentially after the devastation from
Hurricane Irma. The destruction of mobile home parks and other residential structures
have left residents without housing and employers without employees. "` "'"' " "� P "`�'`� M• "� `'
Early reports indicate that the storm destroyed ov r �;be� propertie and le 8,000
residents displaced and eligible for FEMA rental assis is still gathers a a
on the extent of this human catastrophe, but early estimates underscore the dramatic
impact Irma has had on families, communities and our economy.
Unfortunately, the storm compounded an already dire affordable housing market
throughout the Florida Keys prior to Irma. A variety of factors have contributed to the
Keys affordable housing shortage: our tourist economy and hospitality workforce, the
historic challenges and pressures on the real estate market resulting in high housing
prices, all exacerbated by the dwindling availability of developable land, environmental
restraints and rising construction and insurance costs, continue to drive up the price of
housing while limiting the ability to develop new affordable units.
The 2015 Monroe County Workforce Housing Stakeholder Assessment Report
underscored the dramatic need for affordable and workforce rental housing for residents
whose incomes range from 35% up to 140% of AMI and who are employed in critical
sectors of our economy.
Analysis from the OF Schimberg Center for Housing Research demonstrates the scope of
the housing challenge:
Estimates indicate that 17,027 households — almost 50% of total Monroe
County population - were "cost burdened ", paying more than 30% of their
income on housing, and 8,809 (25% of total county population) are paying
more than 50% of their income.
For renters, the percentage of cost burdened families is more staggering. Of the
14,6o8 renters in the county, 8,762 (60 %) pay more than 30% of their
income for housing, with 4,352 (30 %) of them paying more than 50% of their
income.
Over the last 15 years, local government officials, businesses and stakeholders have
offered various recommendations to retain and build affordable /workforce housing.
The legislature and Florida Housing Finance Corporation have responded to the need by
ensuring that Monroe County, as an "Area of Critical State Concern ", is the only county to
receive an annual allocation of housing tax credits and SAIL funds to develop one
affordable and workforce rental project per year.
However, the housing and displacement crisis created by Hurricane Irma has magnified
the need for additional funding resources to rebuild affordable housing for the thousands
of displace residents, restore the economy, and ensure the quality of life for these Keys
communities.
Current Barriers to Affordable Housin
Land - Developable land in the Keys is scarce and therefore extremely
expensive. (Land prices represent a higher proportion of total development
costs here? than in any other part of Florida.)
Funding — Florida �-Iouging Finance Corp provides funding for 1 housing
credit /SAIL fund development per year. This will allow for one project of
between 50 -100 units. The only other guaranteed money for housing
development programs is SHIP dollars to County (— $800,00o per year) and
Land Authority (~$2 million for land purchases per year.)
Regulatory Challenges - requirements like density, setback, open space, and
height which apply to all development in the Florida Keys — market or
affordable - are significant for reasons related to conservation, land and permit
limitations, evacuation requirements, and building code.
Permits (or ROGOs) - The county is allotted a limited number of affordable
permits per year.
Action Plan — Florida Housing RFA for Hurricane Rebuilding Announced
Florida Housing Finance Corporation has announced it will issue RFA 2018 -
107, "Monroe County SAIL Housing Credit Financing for Affordable Housing
for Hurricane Recovery" on January 18, 2018, with an expected Application
Deadline of February 15, 2018.
It is critical that the County and local governments provide the FHFC and policy makers
recommendations on funding for affordable housing rebuilding.
We believe that we should provide state policy makers recommendations on a plan to help
accomplish these goals. Governor Scott, the Florida legislature and the Florida Housing
Finance Corporation have all indicated staunch support — both financial and regulatory -
for assisting the Keys with rebuilding housing.
Based on that strong interest, it is critical that the County, in concert with the cities,
provide them with a specific request for moving quickly to accomplish this housing
recovery and rebuilding effort. The following suggestions and legislative
recommendations provide a framework to rebuild from devastation of Irma.
I. Recommendations to Ensure Rebuilding of Affordable Housing
Land Availability
The most critical factor for developing new housing units is to secure available
developable land for multifamily rental property from both the public and
private sector.
• Local governments need to identify available developable land and secure
property that they can make available for affordable /workforce housing.
• County should purchase private property where available and cost effective
to make available for development for affordable /workforce housing.
0 County and Cities need to support private property owners in their efforts to
develop affordable /workforce housing by ping to overcome regulatory
obstacles.
The following parcels have been identified aslavailable for development anal -sheer
including: a A-� A,
1. School Board land — Incentivize school board to donate or sell two key
parcels of land:
a. Marathon Manor, Marathon — Former nursing home, zoned for 120
units;
b. Trumbo Point, Key West— School board Admin and bus maintenance
site, zoned for 145 units affordable and workforce;
0 2 . Ptt Damaged Trailer Park Properties — 6 -9 trailer park sites
may be available for purchase by the county to make available for affordable
housing. Funds are necessary to help secure these sites. The County has
submitted an appropriations request to purchase these properties;
3. Easter Seals site, City of Key West — transition homeless shelter and
develop affordable units for very low, low income citizens;
�4. Shrimp Farm, Summerland Key — Privately owned, may be suitable for
affordable housing and could be ready for development;
5. Catholic Church Properties — Discuss with Church selling several
parcels of land in Monroe which may be suitable for affordable housing;
6. Islamorada — Several privately -owned parcels in the Village may be
available and should be supported for development;
7. Private parcels ready for affordable development — Several parcels
in the middle keys appear ready for development and should be supported.
A
➢ Secure Additional Funding
The goal to develop 300 - 40o new multifamily rental communities
requires Legislative and Florida Housing support. This equates to 3
new affordable and workforce housing developments in 2018.
Resources necessary include:
1. Request $30 million in SAIL funding to match with Low Income
Housing Tax credits;
2. Request $4 million in housing tax credits from FHFC (to use with
SAIL funding);
3. Request $20 million in additional funds for Monroe County to help
purchase Trailer Park properties and other sites for affordable Housing;
4. Authorize the Monroe County Land Authority the flexibility to utilize
its funds for the construction/ development of affordable housing;
5. Dedicate one of the two currently unutilized Tourist
Development Tax pennies for affordable housing for a period of two
years.
fil Local Government Regulatory Relief — The County has implemented a
number of ways that provide regulatory relief and lower cost of development for
affordable development. Where appropriate, utilize or expand local regulatory
incentives to help lower the cost of developing affordable housing:
1. Property Tax abatement for Affordable Housing — allow partial or
full ad valorem exemption of affordable properties to lower cost of
affordable housing development and incentivize more units at affordable
rents.
2. Impact Fee waivers — Waive impact fees for affordable housing
developments that keep housing affordable for 99 years through deed
restriction
3. Expedited Local Permitting Process- To expedite rebuilding, fast track
local permitting approvals for affordable developments
4. Comp Plan approval for men s — For
properties that need map amendments, expedite emergency comp plan
approval with County and DEO.N
5. Density Bonus — klj �e Oensity�for affordable propertie�ap
uhi its._pe re.
6. Modify Height restriction on Limited Basis— To build flood resistant
developments with increased density, relax height restrictions in designated
areas— up to 4&ft
0
7. Trailer Park Incentives — Identify incentives for Trailer park owners to
redevelop quality affordable housing. Provide Land Authority funding to
assist.
Cost of Development in Monroe County
The figures utilized to estimate funding necessary to build 300 -400 units are
based on recent affordable housing developments and guidelines from Florida
Housing Finance Corporation. The average Total Development Cost of
developing 1, 2, and 3 bedroom multifamily units ranges between $285,000-
$300,000 per unit depending upon size of the development and land cost.
Proposed Project Income and Rent Levels
We are proposing to utilize a combination of housing tax credits,
SAIL funding, and Land Authority funds to develop new
affordable /workforce housing units of which 70% of the units will be
for low and very low incomes (60% AMI or less) and 30% will be for
moderate incomes (80 -120% AMI). Should we acquire additional
funds to purchase the land for affordable housing projects, we could
expect that the following distribution would favor a greater
percentage of lower income units, and lower rent levels.
a) Units at Various Income Levels - It is important that Monroe County
local governments provide recommendations to FHFC on the numbers of
units developed at the different income levels. These are the target income
levels recommended:
10% of units at 25% AMI
60% of units at 60% AMI
1 5% of units at 80% AMI
15% of units between 80% to 120% AMI
b) 70% of Units will have "Affordable" Rents (60% of AMI and below)
to range from:
1 Bdrm = $346 (25% AMI) to $950 (6o% AMI)
2 Bdrm = $412 (25% AMI) to $1137 (60% AMI)
3 Bdrm = $467 (25% AMI) to $1304 (60% AMI)
/�J
30% of Units will have "Workforce" Rents (80% - 120% AMI) to
range from:
1 Bdrm = $ 1295 (80% AMI) to $1755 (120% AMI)
2 Bdrm = $ 1550 (80% AMI) to $2149 (120% AMI)
3 Bdrm = $ 1780 (8o% AMI) to $2508 (120% AMI)
Florida Housing Finance Corporation will be issuing an Request for
Application for "Monroe County SAIL Housing Credit Financing for
Affordable f ordable Housing for Hurricane Recovery" on January 18, 2018,
with an expected Application Deadline of February 15, 2018.
The RFA will provide Housing Tax Credits and SAIL dollars to allow
development of project(s) with a combination of affordable and workforce
housing units with income ranging from 35% of AMI to 120% AMI. Florida
Housing will set the guidelines for the percentage of units at 6o% of AMI and
below ( "affordable ") funded with housing tax credits and for those ranging from
60% -120% of AMI ( "workforce ").
Monroe will seek to recommend to FHFC to reflect the income level distribution
above as the target for the RFA.
FHFC has scheduled a workshop for this RFA on January 4, 2018.
AHAC tasks assigned by BOCC
Resolution 189 -2015
AHAC Recommendations to BOCC
- - - -- - -- - - - -
I
TASK 1: The BOCC should review the Committee's recommended definitions for "Workforce" and "Workforce Housing." If the BOCC accepts the
Propose definition for "Workforce" and the Comm
need wi thin and where (geographically in ittee's recommendation, it should direct staff to propose any Land Development Code amendments needed to incorporate them.
unincorporated Monroe County) for providing Workforce means individuals or families who are gainfully employed supplying goods and /or services to Monroe County residents or visitors.
housing for various income levels (very low,
low, median and moderate) Workforce Housing means dwelling units for those who derive at least 70% of their income as members of the Workforce in Monroe County
and who meet the affordable housing income categories of the Monroe County Code.
Based on the current, available data, the Committee believes there is an unmet Workforce Housing need throughout Monroe County, specifically
TASK 2: near employment centers. It recommends the BOCC recognize that Monroe County continues to experience a critical Workforce Housing
Evaluate and define the workforce housing need. The need and demand for Workforce Housing appears most critical for those households at the median, low and very low- income
need in unincorporated Monroe County levels and is most severe in the middle and lower Keys.
Implementation timeframe I BOCC Direction
Code Amendments
Staff can process amendments in approx. 6
months to adopt definitions and incorporate into
the affordable housing code sections and land
use districts.
Drafted option for adoption into CP for the Nov
29 Special Meeting. Moving forward with
amendments.
passed
passed
A „.1< 1 12/4/2017 r
The bold language for recommendation #3 below were suggested refinements that were agreed to by the AHAC at the June 17 meeting.
The Committee recommends the BOCC take action to strengthen the Countys ability to qualify and monitor deed restricted affordable housing in
unincorporated Monroe County.
1. The BOCC should direct staff to continue to build its database of deed - restricted units.
t. in progress & ongoing
2. The Committee strongly recommends staff coordinate, collaborate and share information with the Monroe County Housing Authority,
2. in progress & ongoing
municipalities, nonprofit entities, and the real estate sector to create a dynamic countywide database, inventory for existing affordable housing.
3. staff has requested assistance from Florida
TASK 3:
Housing on reviewng current procedures and
Evaluate and propose additional mechanism to
3. By October 2016, County staff should develop proactive mechanisms including code requirements and fines based on HUD
enhancing monitoring.
qualify and monitor the occupants of deed
guidelines to enhance the monitoring of affordable housing including consideration of securing the services of the Monroe County Housing
restricted affordable housing to ensure the
Authority, additional County staff or 3rd party monitoring services or some combination thereof. Funding estimates for such a program should be
4. in progress & ongoing
units are preserved and maintained as
developed and evaluated by staff and the Monroe County Housing Authority and should be considered in deciding how to develop the most cost
affordable
effective monitoring and qualifying approach.
5.a) in progress & ongoing. Approved a
contract to purchase software to identify short
4. The Committee strongly recommends staff coordinate and share information with the municipalities in developing these options, with a goal
term rentals.
of developing a countywide monitoring mechanism program.
S.b) Staff can process amendments in approx.
months
5. The Committee strongly recommends that the County identify and fund an enhanced enforcement program as an essential element for
maintaining affordable workforce housing in the County. This program should address compliance and enforcement of deed restricted property
to maintain our available housing stock.
a) Authorize Code Compliance and /or the Monroe County Tax Collector's Office to more aggressively pursue illegal rentals.
b) Require that owner - occupied units be homesteaded.
passed
passed
A „.1< 1 12/4/2017 r
0.11A
AHAC tasks assigned by BOCC
Resolution 189 -2015
AHAC Recommendations to BOCC
Implementation timeframe I BOCC otrecthm
12/4/2017 2
rr4wh�m
CP and Code Amendments
Staff can process amendments in approx. 1
The AHAC recommends the BOCC direct staff to evaluate and develop comprehensive plan and land development code amendments to
year
staff to research &
create a workforce housing overlay which can be applied to properties (through a map amendment) to provide additional density bonuses for
discuss with Bocc (us
workforce developments that offer only workforce housing rentals in perpetuity on Tier 111 designated lands.
Drafted option for adoption into CP for the Nov
market rate ROGOs ?;
29 Special Meeting. Moving forward with
amendments with 50% density bonus for VL, L
and Median - not as an overlay.
TASK 4:
The AHAC recommends the BOCC direct staff to evaluate and recommend a proactive approach to enhance the enforcement against illegal
Develop solutions for rental housing
vacation rentals; tourist housing and vacation rentals of affordable housing units; including additional code compliance staff to focus on short
enforcement in progress & ongoing
keep working on it
term rentals and continued partnership with the Monroe County Tax Collector.
The AHAC recommends the BOCC direct the Land Authority to evaluate and provide recommendations to the BOCC on utilizing Land
Authority funds to buy back expiring deed restrictions in order to preserve rental affordable housing. The Land Authority should consider
Land Authority
Horn
remaining deed restriction timeframes and make recommendations on potential monetary offers to provide for a range of additional deed
restriction years, including a priority for perpetual deed restrictions in order to preserve existing affordable housing.
The AHAC recommends the BOCC direct staff to evaluate and provide recommendations to the BOCC on strategies and best practices for
,
engagement, outreach, public awareness and education to address the NIMBY ( "Not in my backyard ") sentiment to workforce housing and
ongoing
passed
collaborate with the developers, municipalities, the private and non- profit sectors.
12/4/2017 2
rr4wh�m
AHAC tasks assigned by BOCC
Resolution 189 -2015 AHAC Recommendations to BOCC Implementation timeframe BOCC Direction
12/4/1017 3
IsY,IK rfia
Staff discussed issuing an RFP in August with
The AHAC recommends the BOCC consider issuing requests for proposals (RFP) for the development of workforce housing on county-
BOCC. Of the 7 properties discussed with
owned land as a key priority. The AHAC recommends the BOCC direct staff to collaborate with other public entities which own land in the
BOCC, 2 parcels are being utilized by the
county and recommend how best to increase and target incentives for leasing back the properties to workforce housing developers.
Sheriff. Remaining parcels have a development
potential of 14 units combined. RFP may no
longer be worthwhile with low unit potential.
No
Would need to work with legal on title searches.
The AHAC also recommends the BOCC direct the Land Authority to prioritize the purchase of additional Tier 3 lands for the
BOCC discussed at Nov 29th, committment to
development of workforce housing. The BOCC may also consider future RFPs for the development of affordable housing.
target purchasing Tier 3 parcels for AFH and
MH parks.
3
The AHAC recommends the BOCC direct staff to evaluate the legal, financial and legislative issues and develop recommendations on the
3
continue research S
development of a property tax incentive for homeowners that rent a lawfully established existing market rate unit to a member of the workforce
leyoslative - not complete
-passed
TASK 5:
Develop incentives for development of
in any Tier within the very low, low and median affordable housing income limits and rental rates.
workforce housing on Tier III properties
The AHAC recommends the BOCC direct staff to evaluate the legal, financial and legislative issues and develop recommendations on the
lepslative - not complete
staff to research -
creation of a 10 -year tax incentive for the development of only workforce housing.
developed and ongoing
TASK 6:
The AHAC recommends the BOCC direct staff to maintain and update the inventory of County owned land that can be used for affordable
done
Develop strategies for increasing density to
housing development.
updated inventory provided for Nov, 29th
encourage workforce housing development,
meeting.
4
such as micro housing and dormitories
The AHAC recommends the BOCC direct staff to evaluate and develop comprehensive plan and land development code amendments to
back !
allow property owners of Tier 3 designated lands with an existing market rate dwelling unit to add an accessory workforce housing residential
CP and Code Amendments
research -bring
unit which will require the use of an affordable ROGO. Staff should evaluate residential zoning districts, density standards, income levels,
Staff can process amendments in approx. 1+
after developing a wa
to use market rate
maximum size of the accessory workforce housing residential unit and the minimum property size for the development of an accessory
year
Roos
residential workforce housing unit. This can be a method to incentivize the development of smaller "starter units" for the workforce.
CP and Code Amendments
ty
Y
The AHAC recommends the BOCC direct staff to evaluate and develop comprehensive plan and land development code amendments to
Staff can process amendments in approx. 1+
research - develop
create a Workforce Housing overlay for the Planning Commission to recommend and Board of County Commissioners to approve an extra
year
criteria more
specifics - more
story for the development of an exclusive workforce housing project, up to maximum of 40 feet.
Initial height amendment drafts included a
with BOCC
proposal for AFH which was opposed by the
community.
12/4/1017 3
IsY,IK rfia
�]
AHAC tasks assigned by BOCC
Resolution 189 -2015
TASK 5:
Develop incentives for development of
workforce housing on Tier III properties
AHAC Recommendations to BOCC
Implementation timeframe I BOCC Direction
AHAC recommends the BOCC direct staff to revise existing Land Development Code Section 130 -161.1 to provide another incentive for the
servation of affordable housing and the development of market rate housing on Improved Subdivision (IS), Tier III properties as follows:
AGO exemptions transferred under this program may be transferred on a 1 for 1 basis where the ROG9 exemptions are to be transferred to Code Amendment
C Ill, single - family residential lots er parcels within the Improved Subdivision (IS) land use district and the same ROGO planning subarea
the development of single family detached dwelling units. HoweveF where transfers are to be made to sommers(al or reereatienal working Staff can process amendments in approx. 6
lerfreats (as defined by Rerida Statutes} or to multi family projects in nee lS &6(44s, the fxansters 6ba4 res,itt in m3 tower tban Ave deed- months Passed
Drafting for processing
TASK 6: Code Amendment
Develop strategies for increasing density to
e Staff can process amendments in approx. 6
encourage workforce housing development,
such as micro housing and dormitories The AHAC recommends the BOCC direct staff to evaluate and develop comprehensive plan and land development code amendments to months
create an additional workforce housing density bonus in the Mixed Use Zoning District to provide additional density only for the development of Drafted option for adoption into CP for the Nov
workforce rental housing in the median, low and very low income categories which is deed restricted in perpetuity and located on Tier 3 P9 Special Meeting. Moving forward with
designated lands. amendments with 50% density bonus for VL, L
and Median for any zoning which already has a
density standard for AFH. May not need an
amendment specific to MU - already addressed.
passed
1: /4/2017 a
vwvo �n�
D.11Y
AHAC tasks assigned by BOCC
AHAC Recommendations to BOCC
Implementation timeframe
BOCC Direction
Resolution 189 -2015
TASK 7:
Develop strategies to increase the Monroe
Developed and ongoing
County Housing Authority's role in workforce
See Task 3 AHAC October 2015 recommendations that address this Task.
updated inventory provided for Nov, 29th
housing, specifically as a management entity
meeting.
for rental workforce housing
Unquestionably these recommendations will be costly, in developing these recommendations, the AHAC believes from the past 12 months of
discussions that the Commission should set a 10 -year target of raising at least $10 million annually from local funding sources to help
n/a
expand workforce housing in Monroe County and address the unmet Workforce Housing need throughout Monroe County, specifically near
employment centers.
The AHAC recommends the BOCC direct staff to evaluate the legal, financial and operational issues and make recommendations on whether
and how to establish an annual fee on non - primary residences that are not utilized as long -term rentals (6 month rentals or greater) to
No
be dedicated to supporting workforce housing and the enforcement of regulations.
The AHAC recommends the BOCC direct staff to evaluate the legal, statutory, financial and operational issues and make recommendations on
whether and how to establish a property tax exemption for non - primary residences that rent their residence for not less than 6 months
(long term) to a member of the Monroe County workforce. Every property owner claiming the additional reduction in assessed value must
passed
annually file an application with the Monroe County Property Appraiser, including documentation and affidavit regarding the qualifying workforce
TASK 8:
housing occupant of the residence for the year in which the reduction is sought.
Explore local funding
and propose expanding
sources (local government, private /public
The AHAC recommends the BOCC direct staff to evaluate the legislative, economic and financial issues, including and take the necessary
partnerships, community /charitable
steps and make recommendations on whether and how to propose to statutory amendments to increase by 1 penny the Tourist Impact Tax to
organizations) to help expand workforce
provide additional dedicated funding for the acquisition of land for workforce housing and construction of workforce housing in Monroe County.
No
housing in Monroe County
Evaluate including a sunset date of 10 years.
The AHAC recommends the BOCC direct staff to engage with the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys (CFFK), municipalities, and the
business and tourist sector in Monroe County to establish a community workforce housing fund administered by the CFFK that can provide
passed
additional dedicated funding for workforce housing in Monroe County and rental assistance loans.
The AHAC recommends the BOCC direct staff to evaluate the legal, financial and economic issues and make recommendations on whether and
how to increase the ad valorem tax on residential /commercial properties and commercial properties that are not rented at affordable
rates in order to provide additional dedicated funding for the acquisition of land for workforce housing and construction of workforce housing in
No
Monroe County.
The AHAC recommends the BOCC direct staff to evaluate the legal, financial and economic issues and make recommendations on whether and
how to create a tax incentive for commercial properties that include workforce housing on the same site.
passed
The AHAC recommends the BOCC direct the Land Authority to evaluate and provide recommendations to the BOCC on utilizing Land
Authority funds to buy back expiring deed restrictions in order to preserve rental workforce housing. The Land Authority should consider
Land Authority has authority to do with existing
done
TASK 9:
remaining deed restriction timeframes and make recommendations on potential monetary offers to provide for a range of additional deed
statute
Review and consider recommendations to the
restriction years, including a priority for perpetual deed restrictions in order to preserve existing workforce housing.
BOCC for amendments to statutes to
address:a, b, c, & d
In light of the workforce housing crisis in Monroe County, the AHAC recommends the BOCC continue to support of the provision of Sadowski
Trust funding and the dedicated tax credit project for the Florida Keys as a key legislative priority.
support
12 /4/2017 s
vrer sns
AHAC tasks assigned by BOCC
AHAC Recommendations to BOCC
Implementation timeframe
BOCC Direction
Resolution 189 -2015
in progress
surveys developed and sent to 3,000 employers
"The AHAC recommends that the Board of County Commission support and fund a nexus study as the first step in the expansion of the
current County residential inclusionary housing program to cover transient and commercial development in the County." AHAC January 2016
data collection &analysis complete
passed
Resolution to the BOCC
Clarion Associates and RRC Associates
presented findings & data to the public and
BOCC. Will need staff direction to process
TASK 10:
amendments.
Develop strategies to assist in developing
inclusionary housing requirements for
Code Amendment
hospitality and commercial sector to build
The AHAC recommends the BOCC direct staff to evaluate the legal, financial and economic issues and make recommendations on whether and
workforce housing
how to amend the land development code to not allow inclusionary requirements to be satisfied through 'linkage' under Sec. 130 -161 (c)
Staff can process amendments in approx. 6
passed
with affordable housing units built in proportion of the government investment.
months
Drafting for processing.
Code Amendment
The AHAC recommends the BOCC direct staff to evaluate the legal, financial and economic issues and make recommendations on whether and
how to amend land development code to not allow inclusionary requirements to be satisfied through 'linkage' under Sec. 130 -161 (c)
Staff can process amendments in approx. 6
months
passed
with affordable housing units already existing /built.
Drafting for processing.
Building on the February 2016 Workforce Housing Intergovernmental Roundtable and the continuing participation of municipal planning directors
in the AHAC process, the AHAC recommends each jurisdiction pass a resolution to commit their respective Planning Director's meet to
discuss at least twice a year to explore and implement consistent strategies for closer intergovernmental cooperation and collaboration on
workforce housing.
Note: At the March 2016 AHAC meeting the Committee agreed that intergovemmental cooperation is a "very important" element of the AHAC's
work and tasks on workforce housing. There was agreement that the planning directors review the potential areas that have been identified for
cooperation at the Intergovernmental Roundtable and report back to their respective governing boards and the AHAC with any recommendations
Below are the potential intergovernmental cooperation opportunities identified in the February 2016 Intergovernmental Workforce Housing
Task 11:
Roundtable:
BOCC Resolution 393 -2015
A. Collaborate on monitoring and qualifying Affordable Housing (AHAC Recommendation on Task 3)
passed
supporting &encouraging collaboration with
B. Seek to develop consistent affordable housing terminology
cities
C. Develop a more consistent intergovernmental approach to deed restrictions
D. Identify county and municipal Funding Sources for Affordable Housing
E. Purchase land to Address the Growing Workforce Housing Crisis.
F. Support inclusionary Housing and Redevelopment
G. Provide incentives for Building Workforce Housing
H. Work together on Homeowners and Flood Insurance Costs
I. Take a new look at the Hurricane Evacuation Formula
J. Review policies on backyard houses and work force housing
K. Communicating with the public on the workforce housing need & solutions
12/4/2017 6
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MONROE COUNTY
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At 9:10 a.m. on September 10, 2017, Hurricane Irma made landfall near Cudjoe Key as a Category 4
Hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph. We are at this time still in the midst of
determining the full extent of its catastrophic impacts and documenting our shared vision of recovery.
The Florida Keys are a chain of islands connected by 112 miles of US Highway 1, extending from Key
Largo to Key West, representing the most southerly point of the continental United States. The
surrounding water is designated as an Outstanding Florida Water and includes the Florida Keys National
Marine Sanctuary, the second largest marine sanctuary in the United States. The Keys are the location of
North America's only coral reef and the third largest coral reef system in the world. The Keys are also
home to over 30 species of threatened and endangered species and is one of the most ecologically
diverse ecosystems in the United States.
The regional and statewide resources of the Florida Keys prompted its designation by the Administration
Commission as an Area of Critical State Concern in December, 1975 and the Florida Legislature in 1979
(Section 380.0552, F. S.). As required by the State of Florida, the Florida Keys local governments have
adopted policies to control growth based on the Florida Keys carrying capacity. The carrying capacity
constraint with the lowest threshold is the requirement to maintain hurricane evacuation clearance times
at or below 24 hours — in our hurricane prone location.
Irma Recovery - Page 1 of 5
The rate and distribution of future growth has been limited by implementing Permit Allocation Systems.
The Florida Keys local governments, with the exception of Key Colony Beach, have adopted a
performance -based allocation system for both residential development and commercial development
because of the requirement to maintain a 24 -hour hurricane evacuation clearance time, environmental
needs including water quality and habitat protection, as well as to maintain and enhance the community
character. The Permit Allocation Systems create a competitive permit allocation system whereby those
applications with the highest scores are awarded building permits.
After a hurricane evacuation clearance time study in 2012, the State of Florida provided 3,550
allocations for a period of 10 years (3 55 per year) to the local governments as follows:
*Key Colony Beach does not have a permit allocation system
* *Monroe County updated Comp Plan to make all affordable housing allocations available for award
Based on the State's allocation and rate of distribution, the Florida Keys are anticipated to reach build
out in 2023, after which no further development will be permitted.
The Florida Keys are a world renowned tourism and resort destination, with a long established
commercial and recreational fishing industry and extensive accessible coral reefs which support a large
recreational snorkeling and scuba diving industry. The dominant industry throughout the Keys
(incorporated and unincorporated areas) is tourism. This segment of the economy has held the lead
position in employment in the County for more than 30 years. The tourism industry category of
"Hotel /Eat- Drink/Entertainment" includes eating and drinking establishments, hotel /motel space along
with seasonal rental properties and entertainment venues such as museums, theaters parks and beaches.
This ecosystem is the lifeblood of marine -based tourism and fisheries economy unrivaled in the State of
Florida generating over $413 in economic activity.
While an economic engine, tourism also increases the costs for public safety, sanitation, additional
infrastructure and utilities like water, sewer, power, roads, bridges, sidewalks, lighting, parking, boat
ramps, mooring fields, parks and beaches. It also increases the cost of living and the costs of land and
housing, and places demands on the environment and the water quality.
The Florida Keys face the quadruple impact of high land values, land limited by geographic and
environmental features, housing supply limited by controlled growth (the permit allocation systems) and
a tourism economy with a prevalence of lower paying service- sector employment.
The housing affordability problem of the Florida Keys has widespread economic impacts, including a
growing recognition of the important link between an adequate affordable housing supply and economic
growth. Many of the business sectors in the Florida Keys, including professional services, retail trade,
tourism and health care, find it increasingly difficult to attract and maintain workers. Affordable housing
Irma Recovery - Page 2 of 5
Total Annual
Allocations
Market Rate
Allocations
Affordable
Allocations
Monroe County
197
126
71 **
Marathon
30
24
6
Islamorada
28
22
6
Key West
91
Varies
Varies
No less than 60%
Key Colony Beach
6*
n/a
n/a
Layton
3
n/a
n/a
*Key Colony Beach does not have a permit allocation system
* *Monroe County updated Comp Plan to make all affordable housing allocations available for award
Based on the State's allocation and rate of distribution, the Florida Keys are anticipated to reach build
out in 2023, after which no further development will be permitted.
The Florida Keys are a world renowned tourism and resort destination, with a long established
commercial and recreational fishing industry and extensive accessible coral reefs which support a large
recreational snorkeling and scuba diving industry. The dominant industry throughout the Keys
(incorporated and unincorporated areas) is tourism. This segment of the economy has held the lead
position in employment in the County for more than 30 years. The tourism industry category of
"Hotel /Eat- Drink/Entertainment" includes eating and drinking establishments, hotel /motel space along
with seasonal rental properties and entertainment venues such as museums, theaters parks and beaches.
This ecosystem is the lifeblood of marine -based tourism and fisheries economy unrivaled in the State of
Florida generating over $413 in economic activity.
While an economic engine, tourism also increases the costs for public safety, sanitation, additional
infrastructure and utilities like water, sewer, power, roads, bridges, sidewalks, lighting, parking, boat
ramps, mooring fields, parks and beaches. It also increases the cost of living and the costs of land and
housing, and places demands on the environment and the water quality.
The Florida Keys face the quadruple impact of high land values, land limited by geographic and
environmental features, housing supply limited by controlled growth (the permit allocation systems) and
a tourism economy with a prevalence of lower paying service- sector employment.
The housing affordability problem of the Florida Keys has widespread economic impacts, including a
growing recognition of the important link between an adequate affordable housing supply and economic
growth. Many of the business sectors in the Florida Keys, including professional services, retail trade,
tourism and health care, find it increasingly difficult to attract and maintain workers. Affordable housing
Irma Recovery - Page 2 of 5
has posed and continues to pose a major challenge for local governments, public agencies and the
private sector in the Florida Keys. The service and retail industries generate high demand for affordable
housing from low income earning workers, while the limited land area and linear geography of the Keys
severely limit the potential supply and locations of housing. Furthermore, unlike other areas, working
families cannot find affordable housing nearby. As a result, a severe imbalance exists between supply
and demand, resulting in escalating housing prices. This imbalance is worsened by a number of other
contributing factors, including:
• strong demand for second homes which reduces the supply of housing for permanent residents;
• conversion of permanent housing for transient use as vacation rentals which reduces the housing
supply and increases affordable housing demand;
• high construction costs due to transportation costs of goods, limited labor market, and caprock
conditions;
• higher costs due to regulations and insurance (building standards are among the most rigorous in
the State);
• limited permit allocations due to hurricane evacuation standards, habitat protection and water
quality objectives; and
• limited non -profit and private sector capacity for funding assistance and housing production.
The need to protect and preserve an adequate inventory of affordable /workforce accessible housing is a
continual as well as a growing challenge in the Florida Keys, particularly after the impacts of Hurricane
Irma.
Community Characteristics:
2016 estimated population: 76,047 (BEBR 4/1/16 estimate)
2016 estimated households: 33,991 with an average household size of 2.18 (BEBR 4/1/16 estimate —
(Between 2000 and 2010, only Monroe County in Florida had a net loss of households)
2015 estimated population: 75,901 (ACS 2015 5 -year estimates)
Under 5 years to 24 years: 16,861
25 years to 64 years: 44,164
65 year and over: 14,876
2015 estimated housing units: 52,913 (ACS 2015 5 -year estimates)
2015 estimated vacant housing units: 24,003 (ACS 2015 5 -year estimates)
2015 estimated occupied housing units: 28,910 (ACS 2015 5 -year estimates)
Estimate of owner occupied housing units: 17,675
Owner occupied housing units with value less than $149,999: 2,109
Owner occupied housing units with value between $299,999- $150,000: 3,913
Owner occupied housing units with value greater than $300,000: 11,653
Estimate of renter occupied housing units: 11,235
Gross rent as a percentage of household income: (ACS 2015 5 -year estimates)
Less than 15.0 percent: 746
15.0 to 19.9 percent: 940
20.0 to 24.9 percent: 1,128
25.0 to 29.9 percent: 1,212
30.0 to 34.9 percent: 1,120
35.0 percent or more: 5,364
Housing unit built between 1990- present: 13,239 (ACS 2015 5 -year estimates)
Housing unit built between 1970 -1989: 24,086 (ACS 2015 5 -year estimates)
Housing unit built between 1930 or earlier —1969: 15,588 (ACS 2015 5 -year estimates)
Irma Recovery - Page 3 of 5
2010 estimated population: 73,090 (Census 4/1/10 estimate)
2010 estimated households: 32,629 with an average household size of 2.18 (Census 4/1/10 estimate)
BEBR = Bureau of Economic and Business Research
ACS = American Community Survey (Census)
Preliminary data depicting the magnitude of effects from Hurricane Irma:
** *Damage Assessment not complete and substantial damage estimate not included in data below:
Irma Recovery - Page 4 of 5
THE FLOP/D,4 /CFrS — R151Nc�,4g0VF RFCOVFRr
GOAL: Rebuilding a stronger Florida Keys
• promote public health, safety and general welfare;
• advance adaptation to coastal flooding, storm surge and other hazards;
✓ protect property, residences and businesses, from storm impacts and minimize damages;
✓ minimize public and private losses due to storms;
✓ preserve of economy during and after disaster, including business viability and workforce
housing;
✓ preserve and protect the environment, including natural and historic resources; and
✓ enhance resiliency.
STRATEGY. • To address the unique challenges and diverse needs in our long term housing recovery
DEVELOP PROGRAMS TO:
o Wind - retrofitting of Residential Structures - provide funding options to harden existing housing
units
■ Installing hurricane shutters or impact- windows; Metal roofs; Reinforced trusses and
Reinforced garage doors
o Provide funding to elevate existing private residences above BFE (Elevation of Residential
Structures)
• Provide funding to demo and replace private residences to meet or exceed Building Code and
Floodplain requirements (Demolish and Rebuild of Mitigated Building Envelope)
• Develop and increase the supply of workforce housing & choice of rental housing opportunities -
identify areas damaged properties or areas of less damaged properties to more easily and more
quickly rebuild safe, energy — efficient and cost effective housing units (Community Workforce
Housing Programs)
■ Purchase scattered sites for single family homes; purchase parks and redevelop
multifamily housing, purchase less vulnerable sites for workforce housing
• Provide funding to rebuild and repair resilient existing housing units as safe, energy —efficient
and cost effective housing units (New Construction or Rehabilitating Residences damaged by the
storm)
• Identify areas to purchase and not rebuild in that area (provide financial incentives to purchase
areas in dangerous or high -risk zones)
■ Provide funding to purchase developed properties in V zone with existing residences to
create additional open space and natural buffers and rebuild housing outside of the V
zone
• Relocate and rebuild in another less vulnerable location - safe, durable, physically accessible,
energy — efficient and cost effective housing units (Purchase & Rehab assistance)
• Provide funding to purchase abandon damaged structures and demo unsafe structures
• Provide funding to improve infrastructure for drainage at housing units — lessen flooding
vulnerability
• Develop infrastructure for improved mass transit — improve mobility & access to services /jobs
• Provide funding to repair and flood proof commercial structures and add housing units over the
commercial structure to improve local economic conditions, particularly the continued
availability of workforce housing & jobs (Flood - proofing of Non - Residential Structures)
• Identify /explore cost effectiveness of different types of factory-built housing to replace
manufactured housing units
Irma Recovery - Page 5 of 5
Page I of 8
BY ALEX HARRIS
aharris@a miamihera /d. tom
DECEMBER 09,2017 01:10 PM
UPDATED 3 HOURS 2 MINUTES AGO
After Hurricane Irma swept through the Florida Keys, many
residents were cautiously optimistic: Key West, the biggest tourist
draw and economic engine, had survived with minimal damage.
The hope was for a fast return to normal, and that's largely what
has happened in the city at Mile Marker Zero. Cruise ships are
back, the annual keystone event, Fantasy Fest, was a hit, and
swarms of visitors are gradually returning to critical mass for
Mallory Square sunsets.
But three months after Irma, the biggest loss of the powerful
Category 4 storm is becoming clear. Affordable housing, in short
supply in the Keys for decades, has pretty much gone with the
wind.
The storm tore through Big Pine Key and Cudjoe Key — the heart
of working -class housing — with particular ferocity. Mobile homes
and inexpensive and technically illegal first -floor apartments were
wiped off the map. Many other existing rental homes will take
thousands of dollars or more to repair, and when they come back
on the market, it'll likely be at a higher rate.
Breaking News
It was hard to find cheap
housing in the Keys before
Irma. Now, there's `nothing'
' Affordable housing crisis biggest... http : / /www.miamiherald.com /ne... Page 2 of 8
"People are leaving in droves," said Debby Zutant, a bartender at
Coconuts Bar in Big Pine Key. "This is going to change the face of
the Keys forever."
As of last month, the Federal Emergency Management Agency
estimates that more than 1,800 homes were destroyed. Nearly
3,000 more had major damage, displacing tens of thousands of
people.
FEMA trailers are starting to appear, and hotels are full of
residents with uninhabitable homes. Plenty more are squeezing in
with family and friends, or in some cases, living outside their
wrecked former homes.
Retirees Lori Jones, 65, and her boyfriend, Kim Kenney, 68, live
in a tent next to their trailer and all their worldly possessions in
the Avenues of Big Pine Key.
They had to wait a month for their Social Security checks to come
before they could afford the flight home from their evacuation
spot in Connecticut, and when they finally got to their mold -
ridden trailer, there wasn't much left to salvage. They didn't have
any insurance.
"Considering all the other mess, we didn't do too bad," she said,
gesturing to her debris -lined street. "At least we didn't have a
million dollar house that fell to the ground."
She swatted mosquitoes and no- see -ums and stood in the only
spot of shade on the property, an overgrown palm tree she won't
trim because of the precious few degrees of shade relief it gives
her tent.
Four FEMA inspections later, Jones said, she wasn't offered a
trailer, rental assistance or hotel vouchers. A lifelong camper,
Jones knows her way around a tent and cookstove, but the bed is
a challenge.
"At my age, it's awfully hard to get up from so low," she said.
Higher rebuilding costs
If they want to stay, Jones will have to get rid of her mobile home,
which the county had declared uninhabitable. Then will come
rebuilding, and it will be much costlier this time around. Any
home or trailer with more than 50 percent damage must be
rebuilt to new, higher standards. That means elevating anywhere
from 3 to 16 feet. Even with a FEMA payout and insurance
money, the costs could be too high for many to stay.
RELATED STORIES FROM MIAMI HERALD
They're ready to fix their storm- damaged homes and
move in. Not so fast, they're told
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That holds particularly true in the few neighborhoods where
service and other low -paid workers can afford living in Paradise,
almost all of which are in the most vulnerable flood zones. The
county is applying for grants to help some residents bridge the
gap, but they won't be available for months.
There aren't many other affordable options left.
Many of the island's elevated homes have enclosed spaces on
their first floor. For years, those small spaces have been a
mainstay of affordable housing in the island chain, but because
FEMA won't issue them flood insurance, the county no longer
allows their construction. But there were and are still hundreds in
use, built long before the flood insurance rules and grandfathered
in or built without permits or approval since.
If homeowners submit permits to rebuild, they face the prospect
of code enforcement forcing them to tear out the toilets and
insulation in these one -room rentals, basically making them not
more livable than a backyard shed.
The cost of repairing legal dwellings also could push rental prices
out of reach for the working class people living in them pre -Irma.
At a recent commission meeting, Monroe Mayor David Rice
mentioned a rental home he owns that needs hundreds of
thousand dollars in repairs. Previously the home leased for
$1,200 a month, but the rent will have to go up after he pays for
the repairs. And because it's not a primary residence, there's not
much help he can get from FEMA, the state or even volunteers.
"They're not going to be affordable when you put the kind of
money into them it's going to take to get them back online," he
said.
The rental homes still standing are quickly leaving that affordable
range, too. Lisa Miletti, a Big Pine activist, said the local housing
market shifted after FEMA agreed to increase its rates for rental
assistance. Landlords quickly moved rates to the maximum FEMA
would pay, she said, and displaced residents snapped up all the
undamaged homes.
I HAVE GROWN MEN CRYING AT MY BAR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY. OUR
ENTIRE COMMUNITY IS IN A STATE OF PTSD.
Debby Zutant, bartender at Coconuts Bar in Big Pine Key
But the affordable balance will likely shift again when that two -
month rental assistance ends for nearly 9,000 households and
they wind up stuck on yearlong leases at inflated rents they can't
afford, Miletti said. FEMA does offer continued rental assistance
if families can't move back into their home after the two -month
period on a case -by -case basis.
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There also are still about 430 families in hotel rooms paid for by
FEMA, though that is down from a high of about 3,000. Their
vouchers are set to run out next month, and it's unlikely the
housing market will have 430 empty homes available.
Zutant said she hears these conversations at her tough, biker -
filled bar every day. Everyone is panicking, she said, because they
don't know what they're going to do next.
"I have grown men crying at my bar in the middle of the day,"
she said. "Our entire community is in a state of PTSD."
Moving out of Paradise
In many cases, all that's left to do is take the FEMA check and
start over somewhere else.
Marjorie Roberts, director of Marathon -based Keys Area
Interdenominational Resources, said Irma intensified the housing
crisis "a hundred fold." She has about 45 people showing up to
her organization every day looking for food, jobs, transportation
and a place to live.
Usually, when clients asked for help with housing, KAIR would
reach out to the landlords they knew and suggest options. They
even helped pay the lump sum cash payment most landlords
require to move in — first month's rent, last month's rent and
another month as a deposit.
Now, "there's nothing. There's nothing out there," she said.
Her volunteers still call around and check for rentals, but now
they also ask clients, "Is there somewhere else in the U.S. you'd
rather be ?" The answer is usually no. If it's yes, KAIR helps pay
for a moving truck and gas money to reunite its clients with
family or friends somewhere else.
Sometimes the move isn't too far, just to the mainland. It's not
unheard of to live in Monroe County or southern Miami -Dade and
commute to Tavernier or even Marathon. Since Irma, those long
commutes have grown more common.
Aaron Huntsman, the manager of Aqua nightclub and one half of
the gay couple whose legal challenge resulted in marriage equality
in Florida, said three of his employees moved to Miami and
commute all the way to Key West on weekdays.
Plenty of companies already bus in workers from Homestead and
Florida City. That could become more common as the core
workforce of the Keys moves away.
"Then what ?" Miletti said. "You go to ask your server what the
catch of the day is or what's in season and they won't know. The
whole island feel is going to be gone and no one cares because it's
all about money."
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If more affordable housing doesn't come on the market soon, she
sees a future where every house is an expensive, elevated home
occupied by a snowbird six months of the year, and all the locals
are pushed out. She doesn't want to see the Keys turn into South
Beach or Martha's Vineyard.
"The people who look at mobile homes and say how ugly they are
are and 'ew, my property values' — those same a-- - - - - -, when they
pick up the phone to order a pizza, there's going to be nobody to
do it," she said.
In the near future, it doesn't look like there's much help for the
working poor searching for housing in the Keys, although long-
term solutions are in the works for a problem that's been top of
mind for decades.
Shortage of land, too
The commission recently made some moves to speed up the
permitting process for private developers to build workforce
housing. It's a hard sell on a tiny island chain that's running out
of room fast and where there's demand for multimillion - dollar
homes. The state of Florida limits the amount of growth per year
so that evacuations for natural disasters can be swift and efficient.
By those laws, there will be no more land to build on in the Keys
by 2023.
That lack of land prohibits the usual solution for more affordable
housing, large tracts of land for multi -unit buildings or scores of
small, affordable homes.
"Maybe we need more Keys," quipped the mayor at a recent
meeting.
Competition for the pieces of land left isn't just between private
developers. Jaimie Ross of the Florida Housing Coalition wants to
see a community land trust in the Keys, an arrangement where a
nonprofit buys a chunk of land and leases it back to renters or
homeowners. The homes built on the land can only be resold or
rented at affordable prices to those in need, and the nonprofit
makes sure the land is never sold to developers.
"If there's no mechanism in place to make sure it remains
affordable, it becomes a windfall for whoever owns the property
when the restrictions run out," Ross said.
Ross' group is scouting for land now. Once they find some, they
plan to build modular homes designed by Marianne Cusato,
known for her "Katrina Cottages" built after the hurricane as
permanent homes. Cusato's new design — the Keys Cottage — is
hurricane proof and energy efficient, like its predecessor.
"In a disaster there's no such thing as temporary housing," she
said. "In the end, people are in it for 18 months, and that puts
them through another storm season."
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Affordable housing crisis biggest... http: / /www.miamiherald.com/ne... Page 6 of 8
Monroe County is also exploring modular homes, widely
considered a step up in quality from mobile homes or
manufactured homes, as a solution to the housing problem. The
county is lobbying the state for money to buy vacant lots scattered
throughout the Keys, said assistant county administrator Christine
Hurley. They could kill two birds with one stone, she said, if they
built affordable housing on those lots.
Hurley and her staff plan to have an example modular home built
on county property that residents can come see for themselves.
Maybe then, she said, they can convince residents that the extra
investment is worth it for a home that feels comfortable and safe.
That extra expense, however, is out of reach for many of the
victims of Irma's wrath. The low -wage workers that make up the
backbone of the Keys' economy have no place to live and no help
on the way anytime soon.
"People were already underwater. They don't know what's going
to happen next or what they're going to do," Miletti said. "It's a
real live crisis down here."
Lori Jones and her boyfriend, Kim Kenney, pose for a picture outside their
tent at Castaways RV Park, at Father Tony Way & Avenue C in Big Pine Key on
Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. Lori and Kim have been living in a tent next to their
trailer that was destroyed during Hurricane Irma. David Santiago -
dsantiago@miamiheraid.com
1of3
N OTHER NEWS I Anti -Nuke Campaign Wins Nobel Peace Prize
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Irma lays bare the Florida Keys' ... http: / /www.flkeysnews.com/opin...
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Page 1 of 5
Irma la bare the Florida Keys' housing crisis
OCTOBER 19, 2017 02:33 PM
UPDATED OCTOBER 19, 2017 02:34 PM
The following was sent to Gov. Rick Scott:
The board of directors for the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce is advocating for
immediate assistance with workforce housing. We are losing our workers in droves
because they have nowhere to stay. We in the Lower Florida Keys got hit the hardest
during Hurricane Irma. Our economy will not survive if we do not somehow get some
temporary housing very soon.
This problem should have been addressed many, many years ago. The state has swept
the Sadowski affordable - housing fund for years, never paying back what it borrowed,
even when the budget would have allowed that. The state Legislature must provide Close A
funding, starting right now, to address the crisis we are experiencing.
ADVERTISING
X
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Irma lays bare the Florida Keys' ... http: / /www.fikeysnews.com/opin... Page 2 of 5
The term "affordable housing" is a joke here in the Keys. $2,500 per month for a two
bedroom home is not affordable for the majority of our workforce. We need layers of
housing: Dormitory-style rooms for those in our service industry, small apartments for
our families and multi -unit condos for our middle - management workers. There is land
here on which to build. The former road prison property on Big Pine Key is perfect;
much of the infrastructure is already in place. There are large parcels on nearby
islands that could also be utilized.
It is time — far past time — for the state of Florida to step up and help Monroe County
fix the housing crisis in the Florida Keys. It will not be easy, it will not happen
overnight, but we must begin if there is ever to be decent housing for our area
workforce.
CA THY HOFFMAN, PRESIDENT, BOARD OF DIRECTORS, LOWER KEYS
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, BIG PINE KEY
SUGGESTED FOR YOU
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Florida Keys - Help wanted but no place to house it
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Sometimes it takes a little distance to get a good
look at the scale of a thing, and in the case of
Hurricane Irma, the view three months later is
sobering.
In Lee County. 34,000 people went to shelters, more
than any other Florida county, said Lee
spokeswoman Betsy Clayton. Three weeks after the storm, the Federal Emergency
Management Agency was putting up more than 800 families. a number that's now 185,
said FEMA spokesman Michael Wade
The storm came ashore near Marco Island, then raged north to Lee County, flooding
creekside neighborhoods, battering buildings, snapping massive trees, destroying
power and phone lines.
After the storm, inspectors found 89 homes were officially destroyed and
3,731 damaged Another 20,182 homes were affected, which means they might have
lost shingles, siding, screens gutters or trees. Commercially, 90 businesses were
damaged, three destroyed and 218 affected. That amounted to massive property
losses. $726 million residential and $102 million commercial
Hurricane Irma's impact near Lee County's rural Bedman Creek troubles many in
Alva
In response. FEIJA has givers out $47 million in Lee County The Small Business
Administration has lent more than $81.4 million to families and businesses for
recovery: 2.141 home loans totaling $76 3 million. 65 business loans totaling $3 1
million and 40 economic injury disaster loans totaling $1 9 million.
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation quit kly raised then distributed upward
of a million more-
3
{Photo Andrew West7he News -
Press)
"We were the conduit for donations that really came in from all over the country," said
Sarah Owen, the president and CEO. "What's really interesting is that 89 percent of
that money came from outside of the area — from California. Colorado, wherever."
In September, calls to the United Way's 211 helpline increased 1,400 percent over the
previous year — from 2,826 in 2016 to 42,733 in 2017, ''and were still getting more
than twice the normal calls on a daily basis," said Cliff Smith. the nonprofit's president,
"and most of them are still hurricane - related "
Devastating force: Irma was strongest storm to hit Florida in 12 years
But striking as the numbers are, they're abstract- What those figures translate to in real
life is a bustling food pantry at the nonprofit Lehigh Community Services. where Rae
Nicely and her staff scurry to help feed, house and care for Irma's casualties.
Along with rural Alva and Bonita Springs, Lehigh Acres was one of the most
devastated areas of Lee County, Smith said Nicely's nonprofit is one of the United
Way's partner agencies — the boots -on- the - ground part of the United Way's mission
"The extra resources we've gotten from United Way have been unbelievable. We satin
a lot more people than usual," Nicely said. "I could tell you honestly, it was about 1,200
extra people."
4
One of those is 30- year -old Juanita Iturbide- Hernandez, a house cleaner and single
mom who'd moved to a Lehigh duplex just weeks before the storm "We were in a
shelter for two vieeks with my two kids, and I couldn't viork at all," she said Because of
that, her boss cut back her flours. and her four - days -a -week gig has dropped to one
"Which is why the food from community services is a huge help." she said. "it tides you
over until things get back to normal."
Beyond food, Lehigh Community Services provided furniture, gift cards for gas, blue
tarps. plastic sheeting, cleaning supplies — "so many different things," she said.
As for ongoing need. Nicety said some of her clients are still "waiting on some debris to
be picked up, to get started on their home or if they're lucky enough to have insurance,
for things to start happening .. Holida }s are just bringing people back to square one.
saying, 'Look, I really don't have the money to do this, so I need to register my children
somewhere to get gifts, I need to be able to do something to help my family enjoy the
holidays."
5
Nereida Martinez, a pantry associate at Lehigh Community Services bags donated items that will be
donated to those in need. Lehigh Community Services is still serving a high number of clients that
were affected by Hurricane Irma. (Pt7oto Andreiv West Ne,,:3- Pressl
But thanks in part to Irma - stimulated giving, Nicely's agency and others can help. It
already distributed Thanksgiving baskets and plans to give out gifts far children and
seniors later this month as well "We partnered with the Salvation Army and they're
going to be doing all the children's toys, so we feel like we've pretty much covered the
bases"
guy Photo v3
I
Christina Rivera, an employee of Lehigh Community Services hugs client Janet Hamilton on Friday
1218 ?2017. (Photo Andrew WestlThe News-Press)
Overall. Nicely said °I do feel like the need is winding down It's not nearly as great as
it was in October or November. And I do think we're going to be able to bring this to
closure sooner or later and help them get things done in their homes "
Like Nicely, Smith sees "more and more people moving back to stability every day."
While there are still many for whom that's still a future prospect. the forward
momentum is strong and getting stronger. he said
"When you ride around, you see most of it is back to normal, but there are still a
considerable number of people who are not (but) and the cool thing about our
community is that we're pulling together. Everybody's pitching in . working for these
families to help them back to stability
For Smith, the takeaway is the strength of the Southwest Florida community, "w
when bad things happen, an unbelievable number of people, agencies, businesses,
individual volunteers . step up to help,' he said. - We live in a special place."
Irma Helpers
Major corporate donors to the SWFI_ Hurricane Irma Relief Fund of the Southwest
Florida Community Foundation include
BankUnited
Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hail
The Boston Red Sox
CenturyLink
Community Foundation of Collier County — Richard M Schulze Family Foundation
Fineklark National Bank & Trust
Florida Blue
Norman Love Confections
Minnesota Twins
Miracle Baseball
7
Miracle Baseball
Prather and Company Inc and Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre
Robert Rauschenberg Foundation
Ronald McDonald House Charities Fund, a fund of the Southwest Florida Community
Foundation.
Scott Fischer Enterprises
Securian Foundation — Trevor Harrelson, Omni Financial
The JP lJorgan Chase Foundation
The PINICO Foundation
Uber Technologies
W. K Kellogg Foundation
Wells Fargo Foundation
Keys Governments Start Looking At Their Own
Land For Housing Solutions
rut:CrY.U':GE'.ER
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1
Groeme MacDonald works at the Monroe County jail in Key West. but lives in Broward County. So he stays at a
bunkroom In the jail between shifts.
The Keys already had an affordable housing problem, before Hurricane Irma. Then
that storm destroyed thousands of homes and is already driving up rents. So some
government agencies in the Keys are looking at going into the landlord business.
Graeme MacDonald works as a detention deputy at the Monroe
County jail in Key West. He lives in Miramar, in Broward County,
167 miles away.
So MacDonald stays in a bunkroom at the jail between shifts. It's
a former storage area fitted out with metal bunks. No windows.
There's a small room with a TV and a microwave.
He says of course he'd rather live in the Keys, closer to work.
But "even if you find a cheap place, that is not even a cheap place," he said.
Rent near the jail where MacDonald works can easily run more than $2,000 for a
one - bedroom apartment. He's been with the sheriff's office for seven years and he's
committed to the staying there.
The housing market in the Keys is
governed by the laws of supply and
demand. The supply is limited by strict
rules about building and the simple of
facts of Keys geography: It's a chain of
small islands and there just isn't that
much land.
F
Monroe Sheriff Rick Ramsay says he wants to build housing
for his employees — stafilar to the modular housing a private
developer is building next door - on land currently occupied
by the Key West homeless shelter. The shelter has until next
fait to move.
CREEUT NANCf KLiNGEWER / WLRN
At the same time, demand is high.
People who live and work in the Keys
are competing with people willing to
spend thousands to rent a house or
condo for vacation.
A quick search on apartments.com finds apartments in Key West or nearby ranging
from $1,800 a month to more than $7,000. There and on other sites, like trulia.com
you can see the competition with vacation rentals — where a three - bedroom house
can rent for more than $8,000 a month.
When people do leave the job, the sheriff's office conducts exit interviews and asks
them why they're leaving.
3
"They almost always say the same thing," said Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay.
"Cost of living, cost of living, cost of living."
Ramsay says since Hurricane Irma, some of his employees have seen their rents go
way up, because the supply is even more limited now.
"We had a few of our officers who said,'That's it. I can't afford it. That's my entire
paycheck, "' Ramsay said.
So now some government agencies in the Keys, including the sheriff's office, are
talking about a new approach — providing housing for at least some of their
workforce.
Ramsay wants to build on county -owned land next to the jail. That land is currently
occupied by Key West's homeless shelter. The city had already agreed to move the
shelter and in late September, after Irma, the county set a one -year deadline for the
move so that the sheriff could move forward on building units there.
And the sheriff's office isn't the only agency looking at becoming a landlord for its
employees.
"We have the means to take care of our own problem," said Andy Griffiths, a 25 -year
member of the Monroe County School Board. The means he's referring to is land the
school district already owns.
A couple weeks ago, Griffiths proposed the district build 20 homes on 2 acres it owns
next to Sugarloaf School. That's in the Lower Keys, the area hardest hit by Irma.
And he says if that project goes forward it could pave the way for more housing on
Trumbo Road in downtown Key West. That's where the school district has its
headquarters. In the city, you could build higher density — and people who live there
might not even need a car.
"Half of our enrollment lives within 5 miles of the Trumbo property," Griffiths said.
Rebecca Keenum is the guidance counselor at Poinciana Elementary School in Key
West. She serves on the school's leadership team, which means she helps interview
job candidates.
This year they had 10 openings for teachers, out of a total of 65. And that was before
Hurricane Irma.
Keenum said some excellent candidates
turned down jobs after they learned
how much it costs to live in or near Key
West.
"If you want to attract good people and
you want to keep good people then that
basic need — housing is a basic, basic
need — has got to be addressed," she
said.
M
Rebecca Keenum is the counselor at Poinciana Elementary
School in Key West She said the Keys school district should
consider providing housing for its employees like the
military, or a Navajo reservation where she once taught.
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Compared to other school districts in
Florida, Monroe County pays its
teachers well. The average teacher salary is $56,411.
But when housing costs are so high, that salary gets eaten up quickly.
i
Keenum points to the military locally as an example of a public agency providing
housing for its workforce. And she once taught on a Navajo reservation, where an
apartment came with the job.
"You're either going to have to increase those salaries some more, or you're going to
actually have to provide the brick and mortar," she said.
The proposal for Sugarloaf would be a relatively small project. But "I think that would
move the needle on our particular need," Griffiths said.
And more importantly, he said, it would set a precedent for public agencies to start
building housing on their own land so their employees can afford to live in the
communities where they work.
TAGS: AFFORDABLE HOUSING FLORIDA KEYS HURRICANE IRMA NEWS LOCAL NEWS
EDUCATION LAW ENFORCEMENT
KEYSWEEKL
l
January 1 3 & 14 - Bayview Park - Food, Live Music, Exhibits
_75
_ �,...
Key West Attorney Robert Cintron speaks to the Monroe County School Board, citing
President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Lend -Lease Program. "Teachers are the most valuable
resources for any community to have, " he said. "Please give serious thought to this without
being forced into corners by rules," he said.
i
'This is not rocket science'
Monroe County School Board Member Andy Griffiths said the time is now to start moving
forward on a housing project on school board -owned property at Sugarloaf School for
teachers and school personnel. The rest of the board seemed to be in agreement but wanted
more answers about the problems the project could face.
Retired builder Niels Hubbell said concrete modular homes would fit the criteria. "You could be
putting people in them in six to nine months," he said, offering pro -bond help on the project.
"All you have to do is start."
The "just start" sentiment was echoed throughout the meeting by members of the public.
Rebecca Keenum, the counselor at Poinciana Elementary, said her teachers are scrambling to
find homes. Last year, the school lost four highly qualified teachers because they couldn't find
affordable housing. Key West City Commissioner Sam Kaufman, who has two children at
Poinciana, said all of those involved in government need to take action on this, and added
that as of Tuesday, 319 Key West households were still in hotels. "The [City of Key West]
commission would have your back," he said.
Monroe County Mayor George Neugent said the Monroe County Commission would also have
the board's back. "I'm in support of projects like this taking place in the Upper, Middle and
Lower Keys," he said, adding that the suggested $1,500 rent would be truly affordable.
Griffiths said earlier the project would be self - supporting once established. "Monroe County
would provide allocations for this development. Let's get started on this now."
Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay said he faces the same issues in housing his 600
employees. "The cost of living and affordable housing is always an issue," he said. His office is
looking into a 32 -unit complex for its employees. "We have to be vigilant to get around the
obstacles. We need to find the ways to be a part of the solution to solve the problems of the
future."
Peter Batty said the Key West Utility Board built 38 units in Key West for its workforce. "All of
us belong in housing," he said.
2
Chuck Licis spoke on behalf of two Lower Keys property associations and said there was no
opposition, or no "not in my backyard," from the groups regarding the Sugarloaf Key school
project.
Jed Dodds, executive director of The Studios of Key West, said he has offered short-term
housing to teachers at its artist housing. "I've seen it firsthand, the struggles of the teachers,"
he said. "If there is ever an occasion to take a stand, Irma is that occasion."
Mike Morawski, of the Ernest Hemingway House, said that three quarters of the housing
shortage is the purchase price of the land, which the school board already owns. "This
dialogue has been going on since 1970, " he said. "We could have had a lot of housing if we
just would have started back then.... We need to take these talking points and add them into
solutions."
Florida Keys Outreach Coalition's Stephanie Kaple said her organization has been assisting
teachers for decades, "This isn't an Irma problem. If we are sitting here in another decade
discussing this issue, we won't have teachers or a community. We have to give our teachers
their best tools."
Community activist Sandy Higgs was stern in her admonitions to the board, saying they
dropped the ball post -Irma for their teachers. "I am so frustrated that you are the biggest
employer, and teachers are breaking down because they have nowhere to live," she said,
mentioning the empty classrooms in the schools that could house teachers or space on school
board land where trailers could have been brought in immediately. "I have been to two
schools that have 37 displaced personnel and you have not been there to help them," she
said, ending with, "Do your jobs, all of you."
Former school board member Robin Smith- Martin said yes to building the Sugarloaf project,
but added that it's just a Band -Aid on a bigger problem. "This is the result of greed and poor
planning and we need to have a sustainable compact across the county for a long -term plan."
He said the board serves students and then added that the board did not create this problem
and is not to blame.
Unable to attend the meeting, board member Bobby Highsmith said via letter that the highest
priority has been the housing crisis in the Keys and he is strongly in favor of the Sugarloaf
project.
3
"Does anyone think I am going too fast ?" Griffiths asked those in attendance. Some yelled
back, "No," and "You're not going fast enough."
"If we can't do it now, then when," said Griffiths. "Make this a priority."
"I don't want to do something that is going to cause us grief in the future," Dick said.
"How are 20 little houses for our teachers going to cause us grief ?" said Griffiths.
Superintendent Mark Porter said the district will move forward aggressively with this project.
Dick said the board is going forward with this, and The Weekly would be the first to know
when the RFP is ready.
4
Scott's budget proposes $20M fo... https: //keysnews.com/article /stor... Page 1 of 5
FLORIDAVKEYS
J ews.com
(https: / /keysnews.com)
Scott's budget proposes $20M for Keys housing
By Chuck Wickenhofer Free Press Staff
November 22, 2017
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CHUCK WICKENHOFER /Free Press Sea Breeze RV park remains closed while the long
process of clearing the site continues, creating more housing eadaches for Islamorada.
Gov. Rick Scott proposed a budget last week that includes $20 million to be used
specifically in the Keys to build affordable housing, though many local officials say that
money alone won't solve the housing crisis.
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FLORIDA KEYS — Gov. Rick Scott released his final 2018 budget proposal last week, and $20
million will be sent to the Florida Keys for affordable housing if approved by the by the state
Legislature during next springs budget process. Another $100 million has been earmarked for
housing statewide to help rebuild after Hurricane Irma.
But it's not all good news for those in need of and who advocate for a sharp increase in the
availability of affordable housing across the state and in the Keys. As in years past, a state fund
specifically to finance affordable housing has been stripped of $92 million in Scott's proposed
budget.
The William E. Sadowski Affordable Housing Act was passed in 1992, setting up a trust fund
that benefits from revenue gathered by adding 10 cents for every dollar generated by
statewide real estate sales. That documentary stamp tax brought in about $322 million into the
fund for the 2017 -18 fiscal year, with $230 million remaining if $92 million is eventually swept
into the general fund for other purposes as proposed in the governor's budget.
After the money is sent to the general fund, it can be used to fund a number of different
projects, initiatives and tax breaks that are next to impossible to trace. A bipartisan bill
proposed by state Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, R- Naples, and state Rep. Sean Shaw, D- Tampa, is
designed to stop Sadowski Act funds from being snatched for use in filling other budgetary
holes.
State Rep. Holly Raschein, R -Key Largo, says she is considering co- sponsoring that bill, though
she gives credit to Scott for leaving most of the affordable housing fund revenue untouched in
his 2018 budget.
"Given the housing crisis that our community is facing, and really, around the state, it's
unfortunate to see that;" she said of the moneys removed from the affordable housing fund.
"However, kudos to the governor for putting in $230 million for housing, specifically $20 million
for the Florida Keys."
Raschein would like the bill to be retroactive, meaning that money taken from the fund in the
past would be reimbursed, though she called the likelihood of that happening "pie in the sky."
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Such a reimbursement is highly unlikely, as a report from earlier this year indicated that $1.3
billion has been swept from the affordable housing fund since 2008.
State Sen. Anitere Flores, R- Miami, says she's also opposed to removing Sadowski Act funds for
other uses, especially after Hurricane Irma.
'This hurricane taught us lots of lessons;' Flores said. "I think there's more political will this year
to get a couple things done that we haven't done in the past."
One area that Flores addressed was the efficiency of the Florida Housing Finance Corporation,
created in the 1980s to manage the immense task of providing affordable housing statewide.
She pointed to possible changes at the agency in order to get from "dollars to groundbreaking'
faster.
"If there are programmatic changes that we need to make to make Florida Housing Finance
Corporation run more efficiently, then we should do that," she said, adding that "giving it less
money isn't the answer to that problem."
Jacqui Peters, director of external affairs for Florida Housing Finance Corporation, wrote in a
statement that "we look forward to working through the legislative process to secure funding
for the affordable housing programs in the upcoming session," making no mention of any
potential streamlining of their method of operation.
While lawmakers in Tallahassee work to keep the affordable housing fund whole next year and
beyond, they're unlikely to adjust the $20 million meant to help the Keys build housing after the
storm.
What to do with that money is an issue that local governments in the Keys are still working
through. Marathon Mayor Michelle Coldiron says her city's main focus is on procuring
allocations from the state to allow affordable units to be built.
She says homes that will eventually need to be rebuilt to current code are a particular concern.
"The fear factor is those older homes, when they get rebuilt on stilts, are going to be $300, $400
thousand, and they're not going to be workforce housing," she said. "How do we protect that ?"
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Her view is that it will be necessary to appeal to the state for more affordable housing
allocations, as she says that all building allocations currently available to the city run out in
2023.
To that end, the Marathon City Council voted to request 300 additional affordable housing
allocations at its Nov. 14 regular meeting. Coldiron is guardedly optimistic that the request will
be considered by the state.
"The number one priority is to have the units available," she said, adding that Marathon has
plenty of land on which to build affordable housing. "We need those allocations from the state
of Florida. That's what we're going to be lobbying for."
Islamorada, like many other Keys communities, is not as lucky when it comes to buildable land.
A recent meeting of the Local Planning Agency focused on housing solutions, many of which
depend on allocations provided by the state.
It was reported at the Nov. 16 meeting of the Village Council that 24 affordable housing
allocations will be available for use in 2018. However, that's because only six were applied for
this year, which many believe is due to a lack of incentive for builders to erect affordable
housing.
That's because it costs the same to build both market rate and affordable homes, so the bulk of
builders naturally gravitate toward the higher potential profit margin of market rate homes.
Raschein says that using some of the affordable housing fund for building incentives is a
priority, though she is vague on how such a plan would function practically.
"The market is booming, even post- storm," Raschein said. "However we can incentivize
developers to build and to keep it affordable is the key."
Few have a vision of how exactly building incentives would function, though an influx of tens of
millions of dollars from the state's affordable housing fund may help inspire creativity within
local leaders. Even if the allocation and incentive problems are addressed, the buildable land
issue is another obstacle for the village.
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Much of the discussion at last week's LPA meeting revolved around temporary housing
solutions, such as "mother -in -law" apartments, which would not use state allocated affordable
housing units.
LPA board member and local attorney Cheryl Culberson says that density with respect to safe
evacuation, along with flooding hazards, make buildable land even more scarce in Islamorada.
She also says that the ability for the workforce to rent, rather than the dream of home
ownership, should be a priority for the village.
"Habitat (for Humanity's) answer is not our solution because that's ownership," Culberson said.
"We need rental housing; lots of people are never going to be homeowners."
Though the $20 million earmarked for the Keys next year is welcome news for those in
desperate need of housing, the implementation of plans to move affordable housing from a
topic for legislative discussion to a reality continues to meet with big and numerous obstacles.
Raschein, who says that she and other legislators are seeking to use some of the incoming
money for buildable land, admits that when it comes to building affordable, or any housing, in
the Florida Keys, nothing is simple.
"There are a lot of folks interested in doing projects in the Keys," she said. "We just have more
hoops to jump through than typical communities."
cwickenhofer @keysnews.com
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C oun t y of Monr
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BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
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Mayor David Rice, District 4
The Florida Ke s lv ',
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Mayor Pro Tern Sylvia J. Murphy, District 5
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Danny L. Kolhage, District 1
George Neugent, District 2
Heather Carruthers, District 3
County Commission Meeting
December 13, 2017
Agenda Item Number: D.13
Agenda Item Summary #3687
BULK ITEM: No DEPARTMENT: BOCC District 3
TIME APPROXIMATE: STAFF CONTACT: Carol Schreck (305) 292 -3430
yes
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Discussion and direction regarding a proposed post -Irma
workforce housing plan and request for funding and support from the State of Florida.
ITEM BACKGROUND:
For decades, there has been discussion regarding the lack of affordable workforce housing for full -
time residents of the Keys. Hurricane Irma has greatly exacerbated this crisis, as the often sub-
standard structures (mobile and manufactured homes and homes not constructed to the current wind -
load and elevation requirements) that served as de facto workforce and affordable housing were
more likely to be destroyed than more expensive, sturdier structures.
As presented in the November 29, 2017 special meeting on housing, 4,156 structures county -wide
(1,996 in unincorporated areas) received either major damage or were destroyed by Irma -- and this
does not include a full accounting of lost mobile homes which served as full -time residences. The
cost to repair or replace these structures to meet current building codes will be significant, and if the
structure was a rental unit, landlords will likely be forced to pass those costs onto tenants, thus
increasing the already high cost of housing. Many businesses are already reporting that they have
lost employees due to the damage from Irma and the difficulty in finding alternative housing.
The County's Affordable Housing Task Force met for a year and developed a series of proposals to
help address the crisis that existed before the storm, several were discussed during the November 29,
2017 special meeting, and several have been worked on to include in our 2030 Comprehensive Plan.
Barriers to construct workforce housing still remain, both in terms of funding and regulations. Some
of these continuing barriers were discussed at the special housing meeting and may be further
refined.
In the wake of Hurricane Irma, several sources of funding to help rebuild lost structures and address
the workforce housing crisis have become available. This includes $230M in the Governor's budget
for affordable housing statewide with $20M specifically for the Keys, and $100M for housing in the
hardest -hit areas recommended by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. The attached draft
housing plan outlines a request to the State for funding to assist in workforce housing development
and regulatory support to help accelerate the process. Specifically, we are requesting:
- Funding of more tax credit projects in the Keys
- A legislative appropriation for $20M to acquire defunct for -sale trailer parks
- Inclusion of our housing recommendations into the Hurricane Committee statewide
recommendations
With Commission approval, this will be sent to the Governor, our legislators and officials from
appropriate agencies that can fulfill our request.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION:
CONTRACT /AGREEMENT CHANGES:
n/a
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
DOCUMENTATION:
Florida Keys Hurricane Recovery Housing Recommendations 12 -5_v2
CHART of AHAC RECOMMENDATIONS _Dec 6 BOCC_direction_12.4.17
County housing strategy - Rising Above Recovery
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
To be determined after discussion and staff direction
REVIEWED BY:
Mayte Santamaria Completed
12/04/2017 11:55 AM
Heather Carruthers Completed
12/05/2017 3:35 PM
Bob Shillinger Completed
12/05/2017 4:08 PM
Kathy Peters Completed
12/05/2017 4:17 PM
Board of County Commissioners Pending
12/13/2017 9:00 AM
Florida Keys
Post - Hurricane
Affordable Housing Recovery and Rebuilding
Recommendations and Action Plan
Request:
1. Request $3o million in SAIL funding to match with Low Income Housing Tax
credits
2. Request $4 million in housing tax credits from FHFC (to use with SAIL
funding)
3. Request $20 million in additional funds for Monroe County to help purchase
Trailer Park properties and other sites for affordable housing;
4. Authorize the Monroe County Land Authority the flexibility to utilize its funds
for the construction /development of affordable housing;
5. Dedicate one of the two currently unutilized Tourist Development Tax pennies
for affordable housing, limiting this use for a period of two years.
Need:
The challenges facing citizens of finding and securing affordable housing in Monroe
County are not new but have increased exponentially after the devastation from
Hurricane Irma. The destruction of mobile home parks and other residential structures
have left residents without housing and employers without employees.
Early reports indicate that the storm destroyed over i,600 properties and left 8,000
residents displaced and eligible for FEMA rental assistance. FEMA is still gathering data
on the extent of this human catastrophe, but early estimates underscore the dramatic
impact Irma has had on families, communities and our economy.
Unfortunately, the storm compounded an already dire affordable housing market
throughout the Florida Keys prior to Irma. A variety of factors have contributed to the
Keys affordable housing shortage: our tourist economy and hospitality workforce, the
historic challenges and pressures on the real estate market resulting in high housing
prices, all exacerbated by the dwindling availability of developable land, environmental
restraints and rising construction and insurance costs, continue to drive up the price of
housing while limiting the ability to develop new affordable units.
The 2015 Monroe County Workforce Housing Stakeholder Assessment Report
underscored the dramatic need for affordable and workforce rental housing for residents
whose incomes range from 35% up to 140% of AMI and who are employed in critical
sectors of our economy.
Analysis from the OF Schimberg Center for Housing Research demonstrates the scope of
the housing challenge:
➢ Estimates indicate that 17,027 households - almost 50% of total Monroe
County population - were "cost burdened ", paying more than 30% of their
income on housing, and 8,809 (25% of total county population) are paying
more than 50% of their income.
➢ For renters, the percentage of cost burdened families is more staggering. Of the
14,608 renters in the county, 8,762 (60%) pay more than 30% of their
income for housing, with 4,352 (30 %) of them paying more than 50% of their
income.
Over the last 15 years, local government officials, businesses and stakeholders have
offered various recommendations to retain and build affordable /workforce housing.
The legislature and Florida Housing Finance Corporation have responded to the need by
ensuring that Monroe County, as an "Area of Critical State Concern ", is the only county to
receive an annual allocation of housing tax credits and SAIL funds to develop one
affordable and workforce rental project per year.
However, the housing and displacement crisis created by Hurricane Irma has magnified
the need for additional funding resources to rebuild affordable housing for the thousands
of displace residents, restore the economy, and ensure the quality of life for these Keys
communities.
Current Barriers to Affordable Housing
➢ Land - Developable land in the Keys is scarce and therefore extremely
expensive. (Land prices represent a higher proportion of total development
costs here than in any other part of Florida.)
➢ Funding - Florida Housing Finance Corp provides funding for 1 housing
credit /SAIL fund development per year. This will allow for one project of
between 50 -100 units. The only other guaranteed money for housing
development programs is SHIP dollars to County (- $800,00o per year) and
Land Authority ( -$ million for land purchases per year.)
➢ Regulatory Challenges - requirements like density, setback, open space, and
height which apply to all development in the Florida Keys - market or
affordable - are significant for reasons related to conservation, land and permit
limitations, evacuation requirements, and building code.
➢ Permits (or ROGOs) - The county is allotted a limited number of affordable
permits per year.
Action Plan — Florida Housing RFA for Hurricane Rebuilding Announced
3: .::_ ::.. �.. K .: ,. ql* 41
Based on that strong interest, it is critical that the County, in concert with the cities,
provide them with a specific request for moving quickly to accomplish this housing
recovery and rebuilding effort. The following suggestions and legislative
recommendations provide a framework to rebuild from devastation of Irma.
I. Recommendations to Ensure Rebuilding of Affordable Housing
➢ Land Availability
The most critical factor for developing new housing units is to secure available
developable land for multifamily rental property from both the public and
private sector.
• Local governments need to identify available developable land and secure
property that they can make available for affordable /workforce housing.
• County should purchase private property where available and cost effective
to make available for development for affordable /workforce housing.
• County and Cities need to support private property owners in their efforts to
develop affordable /workforce housing by helping to overcome regulatory
obstacles.
The following parcels have been identified as available for development and should
be prioritized and supported, including:
1. School Board land — Incentivize school board to donate or sell two key
parcels of land:
a. Marathon Manor, Marathon — Former nursing home, zoned for 120
units;
b. Trumbo Point, Key West— School board Admin and bus maintenance
site, zoned for 145 units affordable and workforce;
2. Purchase Damaged Trailer Park Properties — 6 -9 trailer park sites
may be available for purchase by the county to make available for affordable
housing. Funds are necessary to help secure these sites. The County has
submitted an appropriations request to purchase these properties;
3. Easter Seals site, City of Key West — transition homeless shelter and
develop affordable units for very low, low income citizens;
4. Shrimp Farm, Summerland Key — Privately owned, may be suitable for
affordable housing and could be ready for development;
5. Catholic Church Properties — Discuss with Church selling several
parcels of land in Monroe which may be suitable for affordable housing;
6. Islamorada — Several privately -owned parcels in the Village may be
available and should be supported for development;
7. Private parcels ready for affordable development — Several parcels
in the middle keys appear ready for development and should be supported.
➢ Secure Additional Funding
The goal to develop 300 - 400 new multifamily rental communities
requires Legislative and Florida Housing support. This equates to 3
new affordable and workforce housing developments in 2018.
Resources necessary include:
1. Request $30 million in SAIL funding to match with Low Income
Housing Tax credits;
2. Request $4 million in housing tax credits from FHFC (to use with
SAIL funding);
3. Request $20 million in additional funds for Monroe County to help
purchase Trailer Park properties and other sites for affordable Housing;
4. Authorize the Monroe County Land Authority the flexibility to utilize
its funds for the construction /development of affordable housing;
5. Dedicate one of the two currently unutilized Tourist
Development Tax pennies for affordable housing for a period of two
years.
➢ Local Government Regulatory Relief — The County has implemented a
number of ways that provide regulatory relief and lower cost of development for
affordable development. Where appropriate, utilize or expand local regulatory
incentives to help lower the cost of developing affordable housing:
1. Property Tax abatement for Affordable Housing — allow partial or
full ad valorem exemption of affordable properties to lower cost of
affordable housing development and incentivize more units at affordable
rents.
2. Impact Fee waivers — Waive impact fees for affordable housing
developments that keep housing affordable for 99 years through deed
restriction
3. Expedited Local Permitting Process- To expedite rebuilding, fast track
local permitting approvals for affordable developments
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4. Expedited Comp Plan approval for map amendments - For
properties that need map amendments, expedite emergency comp plan
approval with County and DEO.
5. Density Bonus - Increase density for affordable properties up to 25 -30
units per acre.
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6. Modify Height restriction on Limited Basis- To build flood resistant
developments with increased density, relax height restrictions in designated
areas- up to 45 ft.
7. Trailer Park Incentives - Identify incentives for Trailer park owners to
redevelop quality affordable housing. Provide Land Authority funding to
assist.
Cost of Development in Monroe County
The figures utilized to estimate funding necessary to build 300 -400 units are
based on recent affordable housing developments and guidelines from Florida
Housing Finance Corporation. The average Total Development Cost of
developing 1, 2, and 3 bedroom multifamily units ranges between $285,000-
$300,000 per unit depending upon size of the development and land cost.
Proposed Project Income and Rent Levels
We are proposing to utilize a combination of housing tax credits,
SAIL funding, and Land Authority funds to develop new
affordable /workforce housing units of which 70% of the units will be
for low and very low incomes (6o% AMI or less) and 30% will be for
moderate incomes (80 -120% AMI). Should we acquire additional
funds to purchase the land for affordable housing projects, we could
expect that the following distribution would favor a greater
percentage of lower income units, and lower rent levels.
a) Units at Various Income Levels - It is important that Monroe County
local governments provide recommendations to FHFC on the numbers of
units developed at the different income levels. These are the target income
levels recommended:
io % of units at 25% AMI
6o% of units at 6o% AMI
1 5% of units at 8o% AMI
1 5% of units between 8o% to 120 AMI
b) 7o% of Units will have "Affordable" Rents (60% of AMI and below)
to range from:
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1 Bdrm = $346 (25% AMI) to $950 (60% AMI)
2 Bdrm = $412 (25% AMI) to $1137 (60% AMI)
3 Bdrm = $467 (25% AMI) to $1304 (60% AMI)
go% of Units will have "Workforce" Rents (8o% - 12o% AMI) to
range from:
1 Bdrm = $ 1295 (8o% AMI) to $1755 (12o% AMI)
2 Bdrm = $ 1550 (8o% AMI) to $2149 (120% AMI)
g Bdrm = $ 178o (8o% AMI) to $25o8 (120% AMI)
Florida Housing Finance Corporation will be issuing an Request for
Application for "Monroe
Monroe will seek to recommend to FHFC to reflect the income level distribution
above as the target for the RFA.
FHFC has scheduled a workshop for this RFA on January 4, 2018.
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MONROE COUNTY
- r /IF FLORI /CFAs - RIS /N�.4�OV� R�GOV�RY
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At 9:10 a.m. on September 10, 2017, Hurricane Irma made landfall near Cudjoe Key as a Category 4
Hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph. We are at this time still in the midst of
determining the full extent of its catastrophic impacts and documenting our shared vision of recovery.
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The Florida Keys are a chain of islands connected by 112 miles of US Highway 1, extending from Key
Largo to Key West, representing the most southerly point of the continental United States. The
surrounding water is designated as an Outstanding Florida Water and includes the Florida Keys National
Marine Sanctuary, the second largest marine sanctuary in the United States. The Keys are the location of
North America's only coral reef and the third largest coral reef system in the world. The Keys are also
home to over 30 species of threatened and endangered species and is one of the most ecologically
diverse ecosystems in the United States.
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The regional and statewide resources of the Florida Keys prompted its designation by the Administration
Commission as an Area of Critical State Concern in December, 1975 and the Florida Legislature in 1979
(Section 380.0552, F. S.). As required by the State of Florida, the Florida Keys local governments have
adopted policies to control growth based on the Florida Keys carrying capacity. The carrying capacity
constraint with the lowest threshold is the requirement to maintain hurricane evacuation clearance times
at or below 24 hours — in our hurricane prone location.
Irma Recovery - Page 1 of 5
Racket Fig. 1577
The rate and distribution of future growth has been limited by implementing Permit Allocation Systems.
The Florida Keys local governments, with the exception of Key Colony Beach, have adopted a
performance -based allocation system for both residential development and commercial development
because of the requirement to maintain a 24 -hour hurricane evacuation clearance time, environmental
needs including water quality and habitat protection, as well as to maintain and enhance the community
character. The Permit Allocation Systems create a competitive permit allocation system whereby those
applications with the highest scores are awarded building permits.
After a hurricane evacuation clearance time study in 2012, the State of Florida provided 3,550
allocations for a period of 10 years (355 per year) to the local governments as follows:
*Key Colony Beach does not have a permit allocation system
* *Monroe County updated Comp Plan to make all affordable housing allocations available for award
Based on the State's allocation and rate of distribution, the Florida Keys are anticipated to reach build
out in 2023, after which no further development will be permitted.
The Florida Keys are a world renowned tourism and resort destination, with a long established
commercial and recreational fishing industry and extensive accessible coral reefs which support a large
recreational snorkeling and scuba diving industry. The dominant industry throughout the Keys
(incorporated and unincorporated areas) is tourism. This segment of the economy has held the lead
position in employment in the County for more than 30 years. The tourism industry category of
"Hotel /Eat- Drink/Entertainment" includes eating and drinking establishments, hotel /motel space along
with seasonal rental properties and entertainment venues such as museums, theaters parks and beaches.
This ecosystem is the lifeblood of marine -based tourism and fisheries economy unrivaled in the State of
Florida generating over $4B in economic activity.
While an economic engine, tourism also increases the costs for public safety, sanitation, additional
infrastructure and utilities like water, sewer, power, roads, bridges, sidewalks, lighting, parking, boat
ramps, mooring fields, parks and beaches. It also increases the cost of living and the costs of land and
housing, and places demands on the environment and the water quality.
The Florida Keys face the quadruple impact of high land values, land limited by geographic and
environmental features, housing supply limited by controlled growth (the permit allocation systems) and
a tourism economy with a prevalence of lower paying service- sector employment.
The housing affordability problem of the Florida Keys has widespread economic impacts, including a
growing recognition of the important link between an adequate affordable housing supply and economic
growth. Many of the business sectors in the Florida Keys, including professional services, retail trade,
tourism and health care, find it increasingly difficult to attract and maintain workers. Affordable housing
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Racket Fig. 1578
Total Annual
Allocations
Market Rate
Allocations
Affordable
Allocations
Monroe County
197
126
71 **
Marathon
30
24
6
Islamorada
28
22
6
Key West
91
Varies
Varies
No less than 60%
Key Colony Beach
6*
n/a
n/a
Layton
3
n/a
n/a
*Key Colony Beach does not have a permit allocation system
* *Monroe County updated Comp Plan to make all affordable housing allocations available for award
Based on the State's allocation and rate of distribution, the Florida Keys are anticipated to reach build
out in 2023, after which no further development will be permitted.
The Florida Keys are a world renowned tourism and resort destination, with a long established
commercial and recreational fishing industry and extensive accessible coral reefs which support a large
recreational snorkeling and scuba diving industry. The dominant industry throughout the Keys
(incorporated and unincorporated areas) is tourism. This segment of the economy has held the lead
position in employment in the County for more than 30 years. The tourism industry category of
"Hotel /Eat- Drink/Entertainment" includes eating and drinking establishments, hotel /motel space along
with seasonal rental properties and entertainment venues such as museums, theaters parks and beaches.
This ecosystem is the lifeblood of marine -based tourism and fisheries economy unrivaled in the State of
Florida generating over $4B in economic activity.
While an economic engine, tourism also increases the costs for public safety, sanitation, additional
infrastructure and utilities like water, sewer, power, roads, bridges, sidewalks, lighting, parking, boat
ramps, mooring fields, parks and beaches. It also increases the cost of living and the costs of land and
housing, and places demands on the environment and the water quality.
The Florida Keys face the quadruple impact of high land values, land limited by geographic and
environmental features, housing supply limited by controlled growth (the permit allocation systems) and
a tourism economy with a prevalence of lower paying service- sector employment.
The housing affordability problem of the Florida Keys has widespread economic impacts, including a
growing recognition of the important link between an adequate affordable housing supply and economic
growth. Many of the business sectors in the Florida Keys, including professional services, retail trade,
tourism and health care, find it increasingly difficult to attract and maintain workers. Affordable housing
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Racket Fig. 1578
has posed and continues to pose a major challenge for local governments, public agencies and the
private sector in the Florida Keys. The service and retail industries generate high demand for affordable
housing from low income earning workers, while the limited land area and linear geography of the Keys
severely limit the potential supply and locations of housing. Furthermore, unlike other areas, working
families cannot find affordable housing nearby. As a result, a severe imbalance exists between supply
and demand, resulting in escalating housing prices. This imbalance is worsened by a number of other
contributing factors, including:
• strong demand for second homes which reduces the supply of housing for permanent residents;
• conversion of permanent housing for transient use as vacation rentals which reduces the housing
supply and increases affordable housing demand;
• high construction costs due to transportation costs of goods, limited labor market, and caprock
conditions;
• higher costs due to regulations and insurance (building standards are among the most rigorous in
the State);
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• limited permit allocations due to hurricane evacuation standards, habitat protection and water
quality objectives; and
• limited non -profit and private sector capacity for funding assistance and housing production.
0
The need to protect and preserve an adequate inventory of affordable /workforce accessible housing is a
continual as well as a growing challenge in the Florida Keys, particularly after the impacts of Hurricane
Irma.
Community Characteristics:
2016 estimated population: 76,047 (BEBR 4/1/16 estimate)
2016 estimated households: 33,991 with an average household size of 2.18 (BEBR 4/1/16 estimate —
(Between 2000 and 2010, only Monroe County in Florida had a net loss of households)
2015 estimated population: 75,901 (ACS 2015 5 -year estimates)
Under 5 years to 24 years: 16,861
25 years to 64 years: 44,164
65 year and over: 14,876
2015 estimated housing units: 52,913 (ACS 2015 5 -year estimates)
2015 estimated vacant housing units: 24,003 (ACS 2015 5 -year estimates)
2015 estimated occupied housing units: 28,910 (ACS 2015 5 -year estimates)
Estimate of owner occupied housing units: 17,675
Owner occupied housing units with value less than $149,999: 2,109
Owner occupied housing units with value between $299,999- $150,000: 3,913
Owner occupied housing units with value greater than $300,000: 11,653
Estimate of renter occupied housing units: 11,235
Gross rent as a percentage of household income: (ACS 2015 5 -year estimates)
Less than 15.0 percent: 746
15.0 to 19.9 percent: 940
20.0 to 24.9 percent: 1,128
25.0 to 29.9 percent: 1,212
30.0 to 34.9 percent: 1,120
35.0 percent or more: 5,364
Housing unit built between 1990 - present: 13,239 (ACS 2015 5 -year estimates)
Housing unit built between 1970 -1989: 24,086 (ACS 2015 5 -year estimates)
Housing unit built between 1930 or earlier — 1969: 15,588 (ACS 2015 5 -year estimates)
Irma Recovery - Page 3 of 5
Racket Fig. 1 579
2010 estimated population: 73,090 (Census 4/1/10 estimate)
2010 estimated households: 32,629 with an average household size of 2.18 (Census 4/1/10 estimate)
BEBR = Bureau of Economic and Business Research
ACS = American Community Survey (Census)
Preliminary data depictin the magnitude of effects from Hurricane Irma:
** *Damage Assessment not complete and substantial damage estimate not included in data below:
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Racket Fig. 1 580
PRELIMINARY I
F
•
,
KEY LCLRGO
2591
3942
326
75
46
VILLAGE OF ISLAMORADA
4
469
423
47
39
FIESTA KEY
4
0
0
257
6
CRAIG KEY
0
1
0
0
6
CITY OF LAYTON
4
0
160
15
6
LONG KEY
304
96
14
0
1
CONCH KEY
0
79
13
4
is
DUCK KEY
292
361
83
7
6
CRY OF KEY COLONY BEACH
0
462
668
206
1
CrrY OF MARAT}IOH
0
4018
629
1+402
3199
OHIO KEY
0
0
0
397
6
BAH L4 HONDA KEY
6
9
6
0
G
51G PINE KEY
264
1538
663
299
473
LITTLE TORCH KEY
369
300
80
25
37
MIDDLE TORCH KEY
3
0
12
0
6
BIG TORCH KEY
11
4
37
1
6
RAMROD KEY
31
2.0
493
12
3S
SUMMERLAND KEY
1
708
20
10
1
C UDJOE KEY
134
914
624
52
31
SUGARLOAF KEY
125
995
203
103
i!
UPPER SUGARLOAF KEY
175
0
0
0
6
LOWER SUGARLOAF KEY
6
161
110
0
G
SADDLEBUNCH KEYS
82
0
0
0
6
SHARK KEY
0
34
0
0
6
BIG COPPITT KEY
122
539
63
4
F
GEIG EFL KEY
41
252
0
7
12
ROCKLAN D KEY
1
Go
31
0
5
KEY HAVEN
0
457
1
0
6
STO ISLAND
945
565
22
15
17
CR7 OF KEY WEST
0
11625
262
39
Z3
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0
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0
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Irma Recovery - Page 4 of 5
Racket Fig. 1 580
TH`�' �LOR /A.4 /C�'YS - RIS /N�.4�OV� RZ%GOV�RY
GOAL: Rebuilding a stronger Florida Keys
✓ promote public health, safety and general welfare;
✓ advance adaptation to coastal flooding, storm surge and other hazards;
✓ protect property, residences and businesses, from storm impacts and minimize damages;
✓ minimize public and private losses due to storms;
✓ preserve of economy during and after disaster, including business viability and workforce
housing;
✓ preserve and protect the environment, including natural and historic resources; and
✓ enhance resiliency.
STRATEGY: To address the unique challenges and diverse needs in our long term housing recovery
DEVELOP PROGRAMS TO:
• Wind - retrofitting of Residential Structures - provide funding options to harden existing housing
units
■ Installing hurricane shutters or impact- windows; Metal roofs; Reinforced trusses and
Reinforced garage doors
• Provide funding to elevate existing private residences above BFE (Elevation of Residential
Structures)
• Provide funding to demo and replace private residences to meet or exceed Building Code and
Floodplain requirements (Demolish and Rebuild of Mitigated Building Envelope)
• Develop and increase the supply of workforce housing & choice of rental housing opportunities -
identify areas damaged properties or areas of less damaged properties to more easily and more
quickly rebuild safe, energy — efficient and cost effective housing units (Community Workforce
Housing Programs)
■ Purchase scattered sites for single family homes; purchase parks and redevelop
multifamily housing, purchase less vulnerable sites for workforce housing
• Provide funding to rebuild and repair resilient existing housing units as safe, energy — efficient
and cost effective housing units (New Construction or Rehabilitating Residences damaged by the
storm)
• Identify areas to purchase and not rebuild in that area (provide financial incentives to purchase
areas in dangerous or high -risk zones)
■ Provide funding to purchase developed properties in V zone with existing residences to
create additional open space and natural buffers and rebuild housing outside of the V
zone
• Relocate and rebuild in another less vulnerable location - safe, durable, physically accessible,
energy — efficient and cost effective housing units (Purchase & Rehab assistance)
• Provide funding to purchase abandon damaged structures and demo unsafe structures
• Provide funding to improve infrastructure for drainage at housing units — lessen flooding
vulnerability
• Develop infrastructure for improved mass transit — improve mobility & access to services /jobs
• Provide funding to repair and flood proof commercial structures and add housing units over the
commercial structure to improve local economic conditions, particularly the continued
availability of workforce housing & jobs (Flood - proofing of Non - Residential Structures)
• Identify /explore cost effectiveness of different types of factory -built housing to replace
manufactured housing units
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Racket Fig. 1 581