County Commissioners Get Part Three of Presentation Series on Housing

BRADENTON – At Tuesday's Manatee County Commission work session, representatives from the University of Florida and Shimberg Center for Housing Studies provided members with data for the third part in a series of four called All Things Housing. Tuesday's presentations dealt with housing affordability and homelessness.

Florida Housing Data Clearinghouse Manager, Anne Ray, and William O'Dell, Director of the Shimberg Center, opened Tuesday's session pointing out affordability being the most challenging issue if Manatee County is to succeed with an affordable housing program.

Ray said that thousands of Manatee County households pay more than 30 percent of income on housing, which is 10 percent above what is considered workable, and that rents outpace wages for many occupations in the county. Ray displayed graphs indicating how renters face a shortage of affordable/available housing.

Ray identified those in Manatee County in need of assistance having an average income of $19,061 with an average household count of two people; half of the households have children and 24 percent are elderly.

O'Dell called transportation a housing issue and described how location plays a major role in developing a workable affordable housing program. He said having shops, work and services within walking or biking distance is essential. O'Dell also stated the importance of having transit available and affordable.

Both O'Dell and Ray repeatedly expressed concerns about the higher cost of housing in Manatee County and directed the commission to seek out organizations that assist in funding and grants that are designed to get over such hurdles.

They recommended the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, HUD (Multifamily and Public Housing), USDA Rural Development and Local Finance Authority, to name a few.

Susan Pourciau, Director of Homeless Training and Technical Assistance for the Florida Housing Coalition, said, "Homelessness is a housing issue."

"The only known cure for homelessness is affordable permanent housing," said Pourciau, adding, "We should work to end homelessness, not manage homelessness."

Pourciau disputed the idea that most of the homeless are made up of the mentally ill, drug addicts, the unemployed or criminals. Instead, she said, "It is the poor and the lack of affordable housing that make up almost 90 percent of the number of homeless on the street."

Pourciau said Housing First is the approach that works best. "The faster someone gets housing, the less cost to the community and the more likely they are to get back on their own." Pourciau says the cost of attending to the needs of someone on the streets is twice as much as it is if they are in housing.

"Housing first can save the community $30,000 in emergency services cost," said Pourciau, adding that housing improves mental health while reducing drug and alcohol abuse.

Commissioner Charles Smith embraced all he heard. Smith has been bringing up the affordable housing issue since he became a commissioner 15 months ago. He vowed to take serious consideration to what all of the presenters suggested.

Commissioner Betsy Benac said most of the assisting operations require skin in the game and that suggests having funds. Benac said the county hasn't any funds budgeted for such initiatives.

Members from Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness, Centerstone, Hope Family Services, Habitat For Humanity, Turning Point, Manatee Community Action Agency and Catholic Charities spoke in favor of all of the presentations.

On April 19, the last part in the All Things Housing series will be presented to the BOCC.