Title
MOTION TO ACCEPT THE RECOMMENDATIONS WITHIN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE (AHAC) REPORT (2024) AND TRANSMIT THE REPORT TO THE FLORIDA HOUSING CORPORATION.
Summary Explanation and Background
SUMMARY EXPLANATION AND BACKGROUND:
1. As a recipient of State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP) funds, the City of Pembroke Pines established an Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) in 2008 as required by the Florida Statutes, Sec. 420.9076. The AHAC is responsible for reviewing and evaluating local plans, policies, procedures, land development regulations, the Comprehensive Plan, and other aspects of Pembroke Pines housing activities that impact the production of affordable housing. The City has been convening this Board triennially up until 2018.
2. In 2020, the State of Florida approved HB 1339 which updated that the AHAC requirements to include the following changes of significance:
• AHAC to meet annually in order to create the AHAC report where previously the Board was required to meet every three years.
• AHAC membership to include an elected official.
• Elected official appointed to AHAC is required to attend State of Florida affordable housing training.
3. The AHAC must be comprised of members with one or more of the following backgrounds:
(a) A citizen who is actively engaged in the residential home building industry in connection with affordable housing.
(b) A citizen who is actively engaged in the banking or mortgage banking industry in connection with affordable housing.
(c) A citizen who is a representative of those areas of labor actively engaged in home building in connection with affordable housing.
(d) A citizen who is actively engaged as an advocate for low-income persons in connection with affordable housing.
(e) A citizen who is actively engaged as a for-profit provider of affordable housing.
(f) A citizen who is actively engaged as a not-for-profit provider of affordable housing.
(g) A citizen who is actively engaged as a real estate professional in connection with affordable housing.
(h) A citizen who actively serves on the local planning agency is comprised of the governing board of the county or municipality; the governing board may appoint a designee who is knowledgeable in the local planning process.
(i) A citizen who resides within the jurisdiction of the local governing body making the appointments.
(j) A citizen who represents employers within the jurisdiction.
(k) A citizen who represents essential services personnel, as defined in the local housing assistance plan.
4. The following members served on the board during this cycle and category they occupied:
Board Member Category
Vice Mayor Thomas Good, Jr. Elected Official (Regular Member)
Commissioner Jay Schwartz Elected Official (Alternate Member)
Daniel Almaguer Essential Services Personnel
Elinne M. Dominguez Resident
Linda Gonzalez Local Planning Agency Representative
Carina Guillen (VICE CHAIR) Resident
Keresia Lawes* Real Estate Professional
Tiffany Pinto Resident
Natalie Ramirez (CHAIR) Real Estate Professional
Nikita Shannon Home Building Industry
Jay Shechter Advocate for Low-Income Persons
Ronnie (Ran) Shoua Real Estate Professional
* Member Lawes submitted her resignation from the board on October 15, 2024.
5. The State AHAC report template includes the following affordable housing strategies to be reviewed by the Board:
• Processing Of Expedited Permits or Development Orders to A Greater Degree Than Other Projects
• Modification of Impact-Fee Requirements
• Allowance of Flexibility in Densities
• Reservation of Infrastructure Capacity
• Reduction of Parking and Setback Requirements
• Allowance of Affordable Accessory Residential Units in Residential Zoning Districts
• Allowance of Flexible Lot Configurations
• Modification of Street Requirements
• Establishment of a Process by which a Local Government Considers, before Adoption, Policies, Procedures, Ordinances, Regulations, or Plan Provisions that Increase the Cost of Housing
• Preparation of a Printed Inventory of Locally Owned Public Lands Suitable for Affordable Housing
• Support of Development near Transportation Hubs and Major Employment Centers and Mixed-Use Development
6. The AHAC met on the following dates:
• August 26, 2024, for an organizational meeting to discuss an overview of affordable housing, during which the City Attorney and City Staff provided a legislative update on affordable housing.
• October 7, 2024, to review the draft AHAC report and make additional recommendations for affordable housing incentive strategies.
• October 21, 2024, the AHAC held a public meeting to discuss and approve the final report and its recommendations.
7. For 2024, the AHAC reviewed the following new documents of note during this cycle:
• Senate Bill 328 - Amendments to Live Local Act
• Housing Broward: 10-Year Affordable Housing Plan
• Land Development Code Update - Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s)
8. On October 21, 2024, the AHAC committee unanimously voted to transmit the report to the Commission with the following recommendations:
• Expedited Permitting
Include language within future procurement documents for building services that specifically requires selected vendor to provide expedited permitting for affordable housing projects.
• Flexible Densities
The City to evaluate multi-family housing projects, focusing on aging garden-style apartments and lower-density complexes, to identify properties that could be redeveloped with additional density or have space for new units. The city to also review the current minimum multifamily residential unit sizes within the zoning code and consider reducing these sizes where appropriate to promote housing densification and enhance affordability.
• Reservation of Infrastructure Capacity
Upon completion of the Pines Village sewer project, city staff to provide the AHAC an update on the number of qualifying residents assisted by the sewer hookup grant awards.
• Affordable Accessory Residential Units
The city to provide the AHAC with an annual report detailing the number and locations of new Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) permitted within the city.
9. The proposed AHAC report is required to be submitted to Florida Housing Finance Corporation by December 31, 2024, per State Statute. Failure to submit a report in a timely manner may impact future SHIP funding.
10. The City Commission must accept or reject all or some of the recommendations contained within this report prior to transmittal to the Florida Housing Corporation.
11. Administration recommends approval of the 2024 AHAC report and to transmit the report to the Florida Housing Corporation.
Financial Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT DETAIL:
a) Initial Cost: None.
b) Amount budgeted for this item in Account No: Not Applicable.
c) Source of funding for difference, if not fully budgeted: Not Applicable.
d) 5-year projection of the operational cost of the project: Not Applicable.
e) Detail of additional staff requirements: Not Applicable.
FEASIBILITY REVIEW:
A feasibility review is required for the award, renewal and/or expiration of all function sourcing contracts. This analysis is to determine the financial effectiveness of function sourcing services.
a) Was a Feasibility Review/Cost Analysis of Out-Sourcing vs. In-House Labor Conducted for this service? Not Applicable.
b) If Yes, what is the total cost or total savings of utilizing Out-Sourcing vs. In-House Labor for this service? Not Applicable.