Resolution 625-1999
RESOLUTION # 625 -1999
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WHEREAS, Monroe County has been an Area of Critical State Concern for
over 15 years; and
A RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE
REINSTATEMENT OF SCATTERED SITE
CRITERIA FOR HOME OWNERSHIP UNDER
STATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUNDING
PROGRAMS AND RULES INCLUDING THOSE OF
THE FLORIDA HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION
TO ENABLE MONROE COUNTY TO EFFECTIVEL Y
COMPETE FOR THESE FUNDS.
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 ofthe 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
Affordable Housing State Changes Resolution #3: Eligibility to Buy Existing Homes Using HOMEfunds
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 ofthe 2010 Plan directs the County to allocate
twenty percent (20 %) of residential (non-transient) growth to affordable housing units as
part of the residential RaGa 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 #3: Eligibility to Buy Existing Homes Using HOMEfunds
Page 2 of5
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, prior to 1996, State legislation and the programs and rules of the
Florida Housing Finance Corporation used an existing scattered site criteria for their
HOME home ownership funding programs and rules; and
WHEREAS, the scattered site criteria for the HOME homeownership program
allowed existing homes to be purchased using HOME funds; and
WHEREAS, currently, State legislation and the programs and rules of the
Florida Housing Finance Corporation, use the project specific criteria which requires
new construction criteria for the HOME homeownership funding programs and rules; and
WHEREAS, prior to this new construction criteria, 225 Monroe County families
were put in homes using over $800,000 in HOME homeownership funds; and
WHEREAS, since the State has moved away from the scattered site criteria in
1996, Monroe County has not been able to apply for HOME homeownership funds; and
WHEREAS, since Monroe County's growth cap (ROGO) severely limits new
affordable home construction this precludes County residents from participating in the
State's HOME homeownership program; and
WHEREAS, if the Florida Housing Finance Corporation returns to the existing
scattered site criteria for the HOME homeownership funding programs and rules, then
Monroe County residents will once again be able to compete for State HOME home-
ownership funds; and
Affordable Housing State Changes Resolution #3: Eligibility to Buy Existing Homes Using HOMEfunds
Page 3 of 5
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that:
Section 1.
Section 2.
Section 3.
Section 4.
The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners hereby requests that
the Florida Housing Finance Corporation reinstate its 'existing scattered
site criteria' for the HOME homeownership program to allow funding for
the purchase of existing homes on scattered sites without penalizing such
applications in the scoring for these funds for any county or city which is
or was during the preceding ten years at the time of this application,
designated an Areas of Critical State Concern under Florida Statutes
380.05.
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 #3: Eligibility to Buy Existing Homes Using HOMEfunds
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
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Yes
Yes
Yes
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
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BY:
MA YOR/C AIRPERSON
ATTEST: DANNY L. KOLHAGE, CLERK
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DEPUTY CLERK
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Affordable Housing State Changes Resolution #3: Eligibility to Buy Existing Homes Using HOMEfunds
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