Affordable Housing Advisory Committee

AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE CITY HALL, COUNCIL CHAMBERS 400 NW 73RD AVE PLANTATION, FLORIDA 33317 THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2024 CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL The meeting was called to order by Chair Maggie Zalamea at 4:37 p.m. Roll call was conducted by the clerk. A quorum was present. Present: Jon Auerbach, Carl Buehler, Edwin Cordova, Toshia R. Drummond, Michael Dutko Jr., Mayor Timothy Fadgen, Mitchell Rosenstein, and Maggie Zalamea. Also Present: Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development (PZED) Director Dan Holmes; PZED Assistant Director Michael Alpert; City Attorney Paul Hernandez; Chief Administrative Officer Jason Nunemaker, and Councilmember Denise Horland. Planning and Zoning Board member Max Goldstein, and Resident Myra Perkins. APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES March 7, 2024 Meeting Minutes Michael Dutko, Jr. moved to approve the March 7, 2024, minutes as presented, seconded by Mayor Timothy Fadgen. Motion passed: 8-0. NEW BUSINESS 1. Surplus Property Bid Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development (PZED) Assistant Director Michael Alpert shared a PowerPoint presentation regarding a vacant City property which could potentially be used for Workforce housing. He stated the property is at the northeast corner of Hiatus Road and West Broward Boulevard, and reviewed the zoning, density entitlement, status of adjacent properties, and unofficial interest expressed to the City.

Mitchell Rosenstein inquired as to the size of the property. Mr. Alpert advised that it is just under two (2) acres. Mr. Rosenstein asked if there were concerns about the feedback from residents of adjacent properties. Mr. Alpert advised the application would go through a public hearing process, and neighboring residents would be notified. He stated if the recommendation is to move forward, the Commission will workshop the details and hold a community meeting. He noted that based on the density, it would likely be a single-family or townhome project. Chair Zalamea inquired as to whether more townhomes would fit on the project as opposed to single-family homes. Mr. Alpert confirmed they would, due to the required distance between individual homes. Discussion ensued briefly regarding density and height. Edwin Cordova asked for clarification on resale of Workforce housing and the benefit to the City for offering incentives. PZED Director Dan Holmes clarified the model is land trust to set the property up to be used as Workforce housing in perpetuity, but staff would need to explore options available as part of this process. Chief Administrative Officer Jason Nunemaker advised that deed restrictions could also be put in place to keep the units from being purchased by corporations or made into short-term rentals. He stated the price of the land could also be put back into the project to increase affordability and discussed land trust options which could be fleshed out in the future. He advised staff is working to address the issue of affordability with a multi-pronged approach. Mr. Cordova asked if the City had plans to explore opportunities to acquire additional land. Mr. Nunemaker advised the City is exploring a number of opportunities, including in the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) in the Gateway District. Chair Zalamea asked what the AMI restriction would be on the project. Mr. Nunemaker stated details had not been worked out. He noted staff would take the feedback from the AHAC and present it to Council. Chair Zalamea stated it should not be anything less than 120 percent. Michael Dutko, Jr. commented that it sounded like a great idea, but they need more details before a vote can be taken. Chair Zalamea stated she thought it was worth exploring, as bringing townhomes into that neighborhood would be positive. Mr. Holmes provided additional background information. He stated among the responsibilities of the AHAC is exploring properties own by the City which could potentially be utilized for the provision of more affordable housing units, and this property was the most feasible property identified at this time. He noted if Council decided to move forward, the item would come back to the AHAC for further consideration and education of the surrounding residents would likely be necessary. He pointed out the zoning entitlement already exists and if the property were owned by a developer, development could proceed. He highlighted discussion at Council regarding the number of multi-family developments in process and the need for addition of owner-occupied projects. Chair Zalamea asserted Habitat for Humanity would be perfect to meet that need.

Toshia Drummond asked that Homeowners Association (HOA) fees be considered when looking at the affordability, and weighing whether taxes and HOA fees would be lower with a townhouse or single-family development. Discussion continued regarding the housing model being pursued by Broward County School District, ownership rights under a land trust, and the competitive bid process. Jon Auerbach suggested the Committee recommend an increase to density to allow more to be built on the site. Mr. Holmes responded briefly. He stated his recommendation would be to move forward with the current density. Mr. Auerbach stated these properties are not easy to come by, and the City should consider avenues to build more. Consensus was to support the City moving forward with exploring options for the property. 2. Committee Engagement Chair Zalamea shared that the AHAC had initiated a community engagement initiative, which had led to an affordable housing town hall. She commented that the event was innovative, and attendance was excellent, and feedback from Council was that they would like to see more activities of this sort. She referenced the Statute which sets requirements for the AHAC and stated they continue to do those things, and stated the law allows the Committee to go further. Chair Zalamea asserted the town hall had been a great start, but other ideas should be explored. She stated she had suggested to staff a joint meeting with AHAC from other communities, and asked the Committee to help in identifying what else the AHAC could be doing for community engagement as well as committee engagement. Carl Buehler expressed concern with the Committee becoming political, pointing out they were appointed for a particular purpose. Mayor Fadgen stated he thought the town hall had been not political, but educational. He commented on the negative connotation of Affordable and Workforce housing and noted the community outreach should be at least annual. Chair Zalamea advised that she thought a meeting of AHAC from other communities would also be very educational, noting other cities are doing great things and sharing ideas would be important. She stated the City cannot do this alone, and it really needs to be a holistic approach. Mr. Rosenstein stated he agreed that education was important for changing misconceptions and reminding people that in Broward County, someone who earns $55,000 is now considered low income. He asserted affordable housing is an education issue, a healthcare issue, and a service issue because they can’t keep staff, and a parent issue if seniors can’t afford to live in Plantation anymore. He stated the AHAC should be focusing on more avenues for proper discourse.

Mr. Cordova asked how a Workforce housing project would be oriented, whether it be law enforcement, teachers, or other groups. He asserted this might impact the politics of the discussion and focusing on a percentage AMI might create less division. Mayor Fadgen commented that Council has said this is not their forte, and they are making asks of developers that are coming to the City. He stated his position is that inventory is incredibly important because it impacts everything. He noted the City’s Fire Department has a need, but it is early in the process and there are details to work out. He reiterated that he did not see it as political and noted that all of the Councilmembers are at large and have to make decisions for everyone in the community. Mr. Rosenstein agreed. He stated it is the Committee’s job to support affordable housing in all of its shapes, sizes, and locations. He asserted a 22-unit Workforce housing development requires just as much support from the AHAC as a larger-scale lower-income development, and there is so much need that they have to support as much as possible. Ms. Drummond stated she agreed and wanted to make sure the project was affordable but was not sure it should be specified who it is for because there is a need overall. Mr. Buehler highlighted a previous discussion regarding a page on the City website with information on affordable housing and other programs that would reduce the budget of a household. He noted a resident had reached out to him after her rent went up 40 percent to ask if the AHAC could help in finding more affordable housing, but he was unable to find anything on the City site. He discussed the Broward County Affordable Housing website as an example. Ms. Drummond shared that the City had hosted a first-time homebuyers seminar the previous week which did a good job of breaking down budgeting and preparing for home ownership. She noted it is hard to put anything on the City website when there is nothing affordable. Mr. Holmes stated the City is in the process of redesigning its website, and affordable housing information would be included in the new site. Chair Zalamea discussed the Housing Broward Master Plan effort and encouraged AHAC members to participate and be a part of the solution. Mr. Auerbach shared that the State of Florida recently came out with new AMI numbers to be implemented on May 16. He reviewed the thresholds and average rents briefly, noting a two (2) bedroom apartment in Broward County is now considered affordable at $2,850 rent. He commented on a previous study examining housing stock in Plantation, and stated where the need does not appear to be being met is levels below 120 percent AMI. He stated there was a discussion to be had as to whether the City was going to create opportunities in that area. He

noted Fort Lauderdale is doing projects for that segment, and suggested the Committee should be more focused on that area. Mr. Cordova asserted to make something happen, they have to start with where they are. He stated when discussing extremely low incomes and those who cannot generate income, home ownership is not an option and there has to be a lot of Federal funding for maintenance of projects. He advised that starting there was not realistic. OTHER BUSINESS/DISCUSSIONS Mr. Buehler stated the solution is not exclusively rent subsidies, purchase subsidies, or building a new home, but also helping people who already have homes to reduce their living costs. He noted healthcare is among the biggest expenses families have, and suggested the Committee encourage Council to pass a resolution asking the State legislature and Governor Ron DeSantis to expand Medicaid and accept funding for these programs. Chair Zalamea encouraged Mr. Buehler to reach out to his Councilmember regarding the idea and noted opportunities to advocate and engage in the community. PUBLIC COMMENTS Max Goldstein, Plantation resident, stated the AHAC needs to clarify whether they are for deed- restricted affordable housing or general, broad-based housing affordability, as they are different subjects. He pointed to San Francisco and Los Angeles as examples of the different approaches. He stated detached single-family housing is not affordable at market rate, but townhomes can be. He asserted deed restrictions and getting specific about who is eligible was not necessary if townhomes are encouraged. Councilmember Denise Horland expressed appreciation for the great discussion. She noted there are reasons the City has gotten more specific in its housing, including losing employees because they can no longer afford to live in the City of Plantation. She stated she serves on the Broward Planning Council, and the previous week had been proud to approve the Land Use Plan Amendment (LUPA) for the MMG project on University Drive at Sunrise Boulevard, which is Plantation’s first foray into any affordable units in 71 years. Councilmember Horland shared that the previous week Council had received a commitment from another applicant willing to work with the City on 48 units, so the City is making progress. She stated as Mayor Fadgen had mentioned earlier in the meeting, the City’s firefighters are volunteers and need to be able to afford to live within a certain distance from the Fire Station. Councilmember Horland shared details of the South Florida Regional Planning Council workshop scheduled for May 31 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. titled “Closing the Gap: Supporting Mental Health through a Continuum of Housing and Supportive Services.”

Councilmember Horland referenced Mr. Buehler’s question regarding the position of the Broward County School District and noted it had been addressed at the town hall the previous evening. She stated the School Board is looking at sale and lease options and would have a workshop on May 14 at Plantation High School to discuss further and make recommendations. She stated Council had been unanimous in not being in favor of putting teacher housing on the School Board owned property on Hiatus Road and West Broward Boulevard for various reasons and noted there had not been a commitment from the School Board to implement teacher housing. Continuing, Councilmember Horland stated the affordable housing town hall had been productive and educational, and residents who had previously been against any development in the City walked away with a better understanding of what the City is trying to achieve, thanks to the work of the AHAC. Myra Perkins, Plantation resident, stated she owns properties in Plantation and is committed to providing affordable housing to her tenants. She commented that an issue is that people are price gouging. She advised that she had attended the meeting because she was seeing an increase in homelessness and wanted to be a part of the solution. She highlighted the importance of educating residents and family members who are able to help them with housing. ADJOURNMENT: 5:51 p.m.