☐ Consent Agenda ☐Quasi-Judicial Public Hearing
☐ Regular Business 5:30 pm
☒ Public Hearing Other
DEPARTMENT: Planning & Zoning
SUBMITTED BY: Laura McClelland
PRESENTED BY: John Osborne
TITLE & DESCRIPTION:
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Resolution / Comprehensive Plan Text Amendment Transmittal - Amending Density Bonus Criteria and Providing for new Affordable/Workforce Housing Density Bonuses (COMP-0015-2025)
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REQUESTED MOTION:
A motion to enter into the record this development review report and make a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners to adopt/deny the proposed resolution for the Comprehensive Plan Amendment and approve for transmittal.
SUMMARY:
The following are proposed amendments to the DeSoto County Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Element that are related to providing higher bonus densities for designated Workforce and Affordable Housing developments within the existing Neighborhood Mixed Use Future Land Use and Urban Center Mixed Use categories. The amendments are limited to areas of unincorporated county that are in proximity to infrastructure and services. These higher bonus densities criteria have been clarified but relocated to the LDRs and are part of that amendment. Other amendments provide additional policy clarification and general clean-up.
BACKGROUND:
The following provides a background for the need for affordable and workforce housing in unincorporated DeSoto County. Most new single-family residential subdivisions in the county are developed with relatively low densities (dwelling units per acre). The most common are the minor subdivisions (6 lots or less) and larger scale PUD zoned developments by major developers. For minor subdivisions, the lots can be larger (e.g., 5, 10 acres or greater) and can be as small as ½ acre if they meet the zoning requirements and any utility requirements by the State for well and septic.
Most larger scale single-family residential tract home builders prefer major subdivisions of 200 + units with 1.5 to 2 dwelling units per gross acre in private, gated communities and have PUD zoning. This low density is typically due to the likely presence of wetlands, typical sizing of infrastructure (e.g., roadway widths, etc.), providing amenities, the requirements of open space, buffers, setbacks, and stormwater ponds.
While both subdivision types are common, both types of lower density development can be financially challenging for the local government to serve in terms of revenue earned versus the cost of providing services and infrastructure. As an example, this is especially true when it comes to transportation capacities and the amount of driving (commute times, lane miles utilized per capita, etc.) that future residents and service providers will use in daily life. More lane miles used per household means more road miles for a local government to maintain.
Location and density are critical components to the efficiency of services that are mentioned in the Bonus Density criteria (Policy 1.1.4). However, due to the amount of detail associated and the need for the exact language in the LDRs, the policy has been generalized and the more specific language moved to the LDRs.
In terms of providing incentives or criteria for affordable housing, the County does have existing requirements for at least 10% affordable or workforce housing within villages. These are new developments within designated “New Communities”, which are established by the New Community Area Map, FLUEMS-8 in the Future Land Use Element. There are two New Communities on the map with existing entitlements mentioned in the policies under Objective 4.1. However, neither New Community 1 or 2 has yet to achieve any significant development or affordable housing.
Like many rural communities in the region and throughout the State of Florida, housing is often developed in areas that are not near infrastructure and services, making housing less affordable, which is an issue for the County and its workforce. According to United Way of Florida’s 2024 ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) Report, which examined data in 2023, DeSoto households that met the ALICE criteria were 40% (state avg. 34%) of the 12,656 households. Meaning, these households are living “paycheck to paycheck” and any unexpected expenses can be traumatic.
The Household Survival Budget from the ALICE Report reflects the minimum cost to live and work in the current economy and includes housing, childcare, food, transportation, health care, technology, and taxes. It does not include savings for emergencies or future goals like college or retirement. In 2023, household costs in every county in Florida were well above the Federal Poverty Level of $14,580 for a single adult and $30,000 for a family of four. For DeSoto County in 2023, the survival budget for the various types of households is as follows:
For calculating affordability, state agencies consider the Area Median Income (AMI). The AMI for DeSoto County, FL in 2025 is $64,400 and the following illustrates what thresholds area households based upon their income, could qualify for housing programs. Developers that provide housing at these levels and higher levels (e.g., 80-120% AMI) may also be able to qualify for various incentives and financing with various state and federal programs for new housing. Most incentive programs are for rental housing though, instead of homeownership-based programs.
• Extremely Low-Income (30% AMI):
o 1 Person: $15,650
o 4 Persons: $32,150
• Very Low-Income (50% AMI):
o 1 Person: $24,950
o 4 Persons: $47,000
• Low-Income (80% AMI):
o 1 Person: $39,900
o 4 Persons: $56,950
Another major factor in household survival next to food is transportation. The average cost of insuring, fueling, maintaining, registration, and taxes associated with auto ownership in Florida is $8,483 per vehicle (which does not include the cost of the actual vehicle itself) according to GoBankingRates.com, BankRate.com, and Insurance.com. Owning more than one automobile can be challenging for lower income households, which is why proximity to employment and services are critical. If a household can have one fewer car, better housing and other needs are more achievable.
Housing density is a critical component of providing affordable housing. Land values remain and continue to increase in cost. Recent trends show a slight decline in housing and land prices, but overall prices are still high versus wages and make home ownership and rent challenging for the community’s workforce. The ability for a developer to provide more dwelling units per acre of property is critical to the ability to provide a greater quantity of housing to the area and potentially some affordable units.
Multi-family developments can provide a greater quantity of affordable housing more efficiently than single-family attached and detached housing due to the limited amount of infrastructure that must be constructed per household (e.g., water lines, sewer lines, new streets, stormwater infrastructure, etc.). Multi-family design concentrates the dwelling units with a minimal amount of infrastructure. Typically, multi-family buildings are constructed on existing public streets and connect/extend existing utilities to their site. Residents normally park their vehicles at on-site parking lots and utilize any on-site amenities for recreation. These savings are passed on in the business plan of development translating to the ability to charge reduced rents. Multi-family rental developments also have more programs available to them in terms of developing affordable housing versus single-family and ownership programs.
Greater density in these specific locations also provides incentives for developers of market-rate ownership-based (non-rental) housing to build in areas that are in closer proximity to services as the proposed definition of affordable housing includes proposed development with at least 25% of units designated as affordable. It also provides the ability for the developer to integrate some affordable units at the desired income levels into their market rate project. In many other jurisdictions, they provide other incentives for affordable housing to include waiver of certain development requirements, quicker / priority development and permit review, etc.
As mentioned in the Bonus Density Criteria in Policy 1.1.4, location is not only critical to achieve the bonus density, but it is also critical to the residents. For affordable housing developers, the lower costs to develop (locate on existing roads, utilizes, etc.) are extended to the price of the rent that can be charged to future residents. The location of affordable housing in proximity to services, employment, schools, etc., also adds to the affordability of maintaining a household budget, especially if one fewer automobile per household can be achieved.
The current maximum densities provided for in the DeSoto County Comprehensive Plan are relatively low and more rural or suburban oriented. When property is located near services and infrastructure, higher densities should be considered and may help to encourage housing that is more attainable for residents and the workforce. According to the National Association of Home Builders, How Zoning Regulations Affect Affordable Housing <https://www.nahb.org/blog/2024/11/zoning-regulation-and-affordable-housing>, Nov. 11, 2024, “… implementing zoning reforms that encourage higher-density developments and reduce bureaucratic barriers will create a more accessible housing landscape.”