BOCC Gets 5th and Final Installment of All Things Housing

BRADENTON – Not often does the Manatee County Commission dive into the core of an issue, as they did with their own All Things Housing series that concluded with Tuesday's workshop. While the final evaluation is still ahead, the process schooled commissioners on the wherewithals it takes to support an affordable housing program.

In sessions 1-5, commissioners consistently spoke of how surprised they were to hear the numbers of those in need; often speaking of an affordable housing program as if they had one. It has been over a decade since the county has adopted the serious responsibilities needed to keep large numbers of citizens from falling below the poverty line, and commissioners now see it will take considerable investments to get an effective program from where we are today.

After the kick start and introduction of the workshop series in January, February's second session focused on attracting millennials to the county and what it would take to supply a product they could afford.

Commissioners quickly discovered millennials couldn't afford most of the products Manatee County had to sell. From surveys taken, county officials saw 48 percent of respondents claim they were spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing.

As commissioners went forward in the scheduled sessions they also discovered more residents fell at or below the poverty line then previously assumed.

At least two of the work sessions focused on local, state and federal programs that assisted low income buyers. Representatives from SHIP (State Housing Initiative Program) and NSP (Neighborhood Stabilization Program) presented the terms and how-to benefit from their programs.

Commissioners heard from support and assistant groups like CDBG (Community Development Block Grants), Habitat for Humanity and United Way of Florida as to what they could offer. The sessions provoked discussions about how the county can provide incentives to developers willing to build affordable/workforce housing.

The county's Land Development Code (LDC) is in the process of being rewritten, and county officials say they want the new LDC to reflect their commitment to affordable housing.

ALICE (Asset-Limited-Income-Constrained-Employed) evaluates the quality of life based on actual cost to basic needs. It describes just how "poverty" is defined in areas throughout the U.S.

ALICE assesses the cost of housing, transportation, food and health. In Manatee County 43 percent of households are struggling and 13 percent live below the poverty line.

Some households pay as much as 64 percent of their income for housing. Up to 30 percent of residents pay 46 percent of their income for housing.

County staff also conveyed to commissioners that low wage jobs dominate the county's economy, and workers do not earn enough to make rent or buy a home. They spoke of transportation barriers such as access to groceries and medical services, and the additional costs it means to the percentage of a salary.

On August 16, 2016, Commissioners are scheduled to meet with affordable/workforce housing professionals and discuss the options available and implement the needed changes into the budget and proposed LDC.