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Home My WebLink AboutResolution 623-1999 RESOLUTION # 623 -1999 A RESOLUTION REQUESTING STATE LEGISLATION AND RULE CHANGES THAT WOULD RE-DEFINE EXISTING SET-ASIDE ALLOCATIONS FOR STATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUNDING PROGRAMS AND RULES FOR RENTAL UNITS INCLUDING THOSE OF THE FLORIDA HOUSING FINANCE CORPORA TON TO ENABLE MONROE COUNTY TO EFFECTIVEL Y COMPETE FOR THESE FUNDS. WHEREAS, Monroe County has been an Area of Critical State Concern for over 15 years; and WHEREAS, Monroe County is a geographically unique and impacted area that is dependent on bridges and causeways for connection to the mainland and is subject to growth restrictions relating to hurricane evacuation requirements; and WHEREAS, maintaining a minimum hurricane evacuation time for the County is the foundation for Monroe County's Rate of Growth Ordinance (ROGO) that limits the number of new residential dwelling units that can be built on an annual basis - currently only 182 new residential dwelling units may be permitted per year county-wide; and WHEREAS, Monroe County is an environmentally sensitive region that is home to numerous protected and endangered species of flora and fauna; and WHEREAS, there are very few areas in Monroe County appropriately zoned to accommodate moderate to high density housing developments, due to caps on density imposed by the State; and WHEREAS, due to Monroe County's vulnerability to hurricane and tropical storm damage, the County has one of the State's most restrictive building codes, which in turn greatly increases the cost of building homes in the County; and WHEREAS, recent affordable housing initiatives, such as those proposed by the Monroe County Affordable Housing Joint Task Force and the Blue Ribbon Committee on Affordable Housing warrant changes to State law and policies governing the funding of affordable housing developments; and 50 = -rt % .3> ~ r ::tJC)% f"T1 Or-Z ... 0 rrt:s; -< n ("). r- CiIt ...., 0("). 0 c:.;;:x _. :::0 Z.o_ -... ....-. r- X ...- -.., ,." ~_.:J: -'.,' 0 -r.. > '-::' <::) r- C'J JIO . ::;u rt'1 CD 0 ,- Affordable Housing State Changes Resolution #1: Re-defining Affordable Housing Set-Asides Page 1 of5 WHEREAS, the following factors increase the costs and limit the supply of affordable housing in Monroe County: . Highest Median Housing Cost in Florida; . Highest Cost of Living Index in Florida, for over 15 years; · Highest Construction Costs in Florida, due to distance from suppliers, limited supply of contractors and extensive regulatory requirements; · Highest land costs in Florida, due to a limited amount of buildable land; · Lack of existing housing stock, that could be converted to affordable housing; · Second homes take a significant proportion of available land and building permits and artificially inflate land values; and WHEREAS, the following factors increase the demand for affordable housing in Monroe County: · Highest cost of living in Florida, for over 15 years Monroe County has ranked as most expensive area to live in Florida according to the State of Florida Price Level Index; · Scarcity of well paying jobs due to a tourist based economy; · Desirable place to live, so each year there is a large influx of new residents competing for available housing; · Demandfor housing is so high, that many people live in crowded conditions, and/or sub-standard housing, such as dilapidated mobile homes and live-aboard boats; and WHEREAS, the Monroe County Year 2010 Comprehensive Plan (2010 Plan) recognizes affordable housing as an important issue facing Monroe County and its residents; and WHEREAS, Goal 601 of the 2010 Plan directs the County to provide programs and policies that facilitate access by all residents to adequate and affordable housing that is safe, decent and structurally sound; and WHEREAS, Policy 101.2.4 of the 2010 Plan directs the County to allocate twenty percent (20 %) of residential (non-transient) growth to affordable housing units as part of the residential ROGO allocation system; and WHEREAS, the ratio of affordable to market rate housing detailed in Policy 101.2.4 2010 Plan has not been achieved; and WHEREAS, Objective 601.2 of the 2010 Plan requires Monroe County to encourage housing of various types, sizes and price ranges to meet the needs of residents; and Affordable Housing State Changes Resolution #1: Re-defining Affordable Housing Set-Asides Page 2 of 5 WHEREAS, the high demand for housing in Monroe County and the limited supply of both existing units and building rights for future units make affordable housing too expensive to build in Monroe County unless adequate State subsidies are received; and WHEREAS, Monroe County is designated by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development as a Difficult to Develop Area; and WHEREAS, existing State affordable housing funding programs do not recognize the unique circumstances preventing the development of affordable housing in Monroe County; and WHEREAS, changes to State affordable housing funding programs and rules including those of the Florida Housing Finance Corporation are necessary to ensure that Monroe County is eligible for its fair share of State affordable housing funding programs; and WHEREAS, under State law and the programs and rules of the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, there are two main funding set-aside categories: urban infill and rural; and WHEREAS, Monroe County does not qualify for funding under either of these two set-aside categories because State law and the programs and rules ofthe Florida Housing Finance Corporation do not permit it; and WHEREAS, significant portions of Monroe County can be qualified as 'urban infill areas', such as areas in Key West, Key Largo and Marathon; and WHEREAS, significant portions of Monroe County can be qualified as 'rural areas', such as most of Little Torch, Big Torch, Summerland Key and North Key Largo; and WHEREAS, the State legislature can change the definition of 'rural areas' and 'infill areas' as they pertain to set-aside categories for State affordable housing funding; and WHEREAS, ifthe definitions applicable to set-asides for 'rural' and/or 'urban infill' areas were changed to include areas that are or were within the preceding 10 years of applying for such funding within an Area of Critical State Concern, Monroe County could compete for existing set-asides for rural and urban infill proposals; and Affordable Housing State Changes Resolution #1: Re-defining Affordable Housing Set-Asides Page 3 of5 , WHEREAS, by asking the State legislature and the Florida Housing Finance Corporation to make changes in both the set-asides for 'rural' and 'urban infill' areas this gives these bodies the opportunity to change either, or both ofthese set-aside categories, as appropriate; and NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that: Section 1. Section 2. Section 3. Section 3. Section 4. Wherever rural counties are defined or mentioned under State law or any program and rule of the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, the following definition of 'rural' shall be adopted: "F or the purposes of allocation of funds by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, any county or city which is or was during the preceding ten years at the time of this application, designated an Area of Critical State Concern under Florida Statute Section 380.05 is considered to be 'rural' as that term is herein defined." Wherever urban infill areas are defined or mentioned under State legislation and the programs and rules of the Florida Housing Finance Corporation the following definition of 'urban infill' shall be adopted: "F or the purposes of allocation of funds by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, any county or city which is or was during the preceding ten years at the time of this application, designated an Area of Critical State Concern under Florida Statutes Section 380.05 is considered to be within an 'urban infill' area as that term is herein defined." If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or provision of this Resolution is held invalid, the remainder of this resolution shall not be affected by such invalidity. All Resolutions or parts of Ordinances in conflict with this Resolution are hereby repealed to the extent of said conflict. The Director of Monroe County's Growth Management Division is hereby directed to forward this Resolution to State Senator Daryl Jones and State Representative Ken Sorensen so that they may seek legislative action and State agency (i.e. the Florida Housing Finance Corporation et al.) program and rule amendments to implement this Resolution. Affordable Housing State Changes Resolution #1: Re-defining Affordable Housing Set-Asides Page 4 of 5 PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida, at a meeting of the Board held on the ~ day of December , A.D., 1999. Mayor Shirley Freeman Mayor Pro Tern George Neugent Commissioner Wilhelmina Harvey Commissioner Mary Kay Reich Commissioner Nora Williams Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ('.n.,I',..r1(.~..,."~V~~\.~".,','...:'t'~~:~.":".."-,~...,;.'....-','.'..:.;.". '." 1;],'. . '~-'.l\ ~;~' .;:;;.~. ~ , :>'7..'." . . ) .- .'" " " _:,,:~:7/1 .. . .,-::-' ~"': '.", ..~;:.-.-r> / .' BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF M~F-OJ? CPUN!~~LORIDA Bye)M~~Z~ ATTEST: DANNY L. KOLHAGE, CLERK ~~ c.... '&:w ~~ DEPUTY CLERK BY Affordable Housing State Changes Resolution #1: Re-deflning Affordable Housing Set-Asides Page 5 of5