July 2022
Fort Lauderdale focuses efforts to tackle
need for more affordable housing
Far too often in recent months has someone stopped me on the street or written me an email concerned about the affordability of housing in the greater Fort Lauderdale area. 

Prices for single-family homes and condos have increased to the point where the American dream of homeownership is out of grasp for many families. Meanwhile, higher rental rates are causing other families to struggle to make ends meet day to day. 

This crisis is occurring across the nation, and many factors are outside the control of local governments. Inflation is at a 40-year high. Interest rates are rising. The continued popularity of Florida as a place to live has created a housing shortage that is forcing up prices. And, the state has yet to undertake meaningful reform of our expensive property insurance system. 

The city of Fort Lauderdale has been fighting hard to combat the problem and increase the stock of affordable housing. We want to do as much as possible to ensure we remain a diverse community open to all income levels – a place where workers from nurses and teachers to bank tellers and waiters can afford to live, a place where someone fresh from college can launch a career and a place where a senior citizen can retire comfortably.
Here are some of the affordable and workforce housing projects that have either come online in the last couple years or are currently moving through the design and construction process:

  • Six13. Affiliated Development has built an six-story, mixed-use tower in the Sistrunk Boulevard corridor that includes 142 workforce rental units. The city committed $7 million in CRA funding to assist with this development.

  • Village View. The Housing Trust Group opened this 100-unit affordable housing project for seniors in Flagler Village. The city provided low-income housing tax credits to bring the project to fruition.

  • River Gardens Townhouses. The city’s redevelopment agency donated land and contributed $1.5 million toward this $6.8 million project. In all, 25 affordable, owner-occupied homes were built in the Sweeting Estates-River Gardens neighborhood and quickly sold. 

  • Sailboat Bend II. This 110-unit complex opened last fall and serves low-income seniors downtown. The Housing Authority built it on the lot adjacent to its earlier Sailboat Bend I project that was also geared toward seniors. Units are rented at about half of the market rate for the area.

  • Suncrest Court. The Housing Authority rebuilt this 8.5-acre site to improve living conditions and almost double the number of units. Previously consisting of 68 units, Suncrest underwent a $28.7 million makeover into a rental community of six buildings with 116 units. The city designated the property as a brownfield site to help facilitate its redevelopment.

  • Rock Island Apartments. The Housing Authority renovated and expanded its Rock Island apartment complex. When completed last fall, the complex grew from 60-some units to more than 110. The entire community was beautified in the process. 

  • Poinciana Crossing. This Housing Authority project opened earlier this year with city assistance. When the City Commission canceled the Wave streetcar project because of its increasing cost, we sold the land designated for its maintenance facility to the Housing Authority for $1. We also declared it a green reuse site to facilitate the redevelopment. It consists of 113 units targeted to lower-income families.

  • Mount Hermon AME Church housing. The city’s redevelopment agency has earmarked a $640,000 incentive loan to the church’s plans to build 100 units of affordable senior housing in the Dorsey-Riverbend neighborhood. 

  • Pantry Lofts. The city redevelopment agency has contributed $640,000 to Green Mills Holdings and the Pantry of Broward to develop an eight-story, 90-unit residential towers that will offer affordable senior housing and a new facility for the pantry. It will be located at the corner of Northwest 3rd Avenue and Sistrunk Boulevard.

  • Wright Dynasty mixed-use development. Wright Dynasty LLC has received $3 million in redevelopment funding for a six-story building at 1217-1223 Sistrunk Blvd. The project will include affordable housing among its 24 residential units. 

  • The Arcadian. To accommodate this project by Sunshine Shipyard LLC, the city gave waivers from its land-development code including allowing the building to be taller than normally allowed. Located at 640 NW 7th Ave., the project consists of 480 residential units, with 48 of them set aside as affordable housing. 

  • Seven on Seventh. The city has been working with the Broward Partnership for the Homeless on this project off Northwest 7th Avenue. The development consists of commercial space and 72 affordable housing units. The city agreed to height waivers to spur the project. 

  • The Adderley. Urbano Co. has included affordable housing units in a project planned in the Sistrunk area. In all, there will be 455 rental homes and 17,752 square feet of commercial space of retail and restaurants. Because developers set aside 10 percent of the units for affordable housing, the city agreed to provide a height bonus — allowing the project to rise to six stories rather than the normally permissible four stories.

  • The Aldridge and The Laramore. These projects by Sistrunk Apartments LLC are made possible through the donation of land and a $8 million zero-percent interest loan from the city redevelopment agency. Located at 1204 Sistrunk Blvd. and 1620 NW 6th Court, the projects will 72 units of affordable rental units. 

  • Broadview Park. The Housing Authority and the city are working together to build a housing complex on city-owned land just outside Fort Lauderdale in unincorporated Broadview Park. The goal is to build more than 500 units of public housing there.
The city’s efforts go beyond these cooperative arrangements with private developers and our own Housing Authority. In another initiative, we have been converting city-owned lots toward the construction of affordable housing. 

A year ago, the city retained five development firms to construct homes on 43 lots owned by our redevelopment agency and sell them at reduced prices that reflected the lack of land-acquisition costs. The owners must live in them for seven years under the program we set up. 

In November, the city conveyed another seven properties to the redevelopment agency for the purpose of constructing affordable housing. Occupancy would be restricted to families with low to moderate incomes with a requirement of seven-year residency. We added 15 more properties in May. 

The city looks for other ways to help as well. We will receive $1.7 million this year in State Housing Initiatives Partnership money and will use the majority of those funds to sponsor affordable housing projects. 

The city also operates a program to assist qualified individuals make down payments, cover closing costs or reduce principal on a home purchase. 

There are restrictions set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that a household of two seeking assistance can earn no more than $58,050 and a family of four can make no more than $72,550. The program is limited to first-time homebuyers. 

Individuals can receive up to $75,000 in down payment assistance. This carries a 15-year lien that is forgiven if the buyer remains in the home for that length of time. Three firms manage this program for the city: the Housing Foundation of America at 954-923-5001, Oasis of Hope at 954-586-1283 and Debt Management Credit Counseling at 866-724-3328. 

One option that is frequently suggested to me is simply beyond the city’s power. I often hear that the city should impose rent control. The laws in Florida are far different from places like New York and basically rule this idea out as option for serious consideration. 

Please know that affordable housing is a priority for myself and the rest of the City Commission. We will continue to work as hard as possible to keep Fort Lauderdale a community welcoming to everyone. It’s a tough task, but we are doing all we can to make a positive impact locally on this national crisis. 

Yours,


Dean
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