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Northeast Florida RC Strategizes on Affordable Housing Crisis
In order to address the affordable housing crisis, the Northeast Florida RC’s Affordable Housing Committee went from an ad-hoc to a standing committee of the Board of Directors. The Committee now meets monthly to discuss the affordable housing crisis, hear from subject matter experts, and consider potential solutions for Northeast Florida. The Committee’s goal is “a safe, sanitary, efficient, and resilient housing supply that provides lifestyle choice (agricultural, rural, suburban, and urban) and affordable options for all income, age and ability groups, equitably placed in vibrant, viable and accessible communities throughout the Region.”

To gather stakeholder input and identify best practices, the Committee hosted a series of seven workshops, one in each member county, followed by a regional convening. After the workshops and to further work by the Committee, the 2022 Affordable Housing Strategy was drafted funded through a technical assistance grant awarded by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. The Strategy lays out five focus areas: Report Card (current data), Research, Alignment, Create More Affordable Units, and Championing the Effort.

Three measures of success were identified including each county positively impacting the number of the United Way’s ALICE households, reducing homelessness, and increasing the number of affordable units. In September, the Committee will take the information gathered to date to the Regional Council with steps for Councilmembers to take moving forward within their own jurisdictions.

The NEFRC 2022 Affordable Housing Strategy can be found at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xdzBpJkWerh6tKh22WqKaWWxXrDf-U38/view.
Treasure Coast RPC Assists City of Stuart
In late 2020, the City of Stuart engaged the Treasure Coast RPC to work on two separate but adjacent and interconnected projects, a study of existing conditions and redevelopment opportunities along US 1 and a master plan for the Triangle District adjacent to downtown and abutting US 1. Funding for the US 1 Study was provided through a grant to the City of Stuart from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and the Triangle Gateway Master Plan was funded by the Stuart Community Redevelopment Agency. 

The planning process included an online survey, interviews with businesses and residents, and a well-attended walking tour of the areas with opportunities for public input at the conclusion of the tour. The master plans created provide for improved safety and mobility, redevelopment opportunities, and enhancements to community character. Work was completed last August both the Study and the Master Plan were reviewed and adopted by the CRA board and the City Commission. Some of the recommended capital improvement projects are already underway and key recommendations resulting from the planning efforts include:

  • Designate a name for the area to enhance identity
  • Survey and protect historic assets
  • Implement the recommendations in the Future Parking Needs Analysis
  • Create an Artists Alley program with murals
  • Commit to Vision Zero for safety of all road users
  • Prioritize traffic calming at intersections
  • Rebuild the Frazier Creek Bridge with safe sidewalks
East Central Florida Regional Resiliency Collaborative Participates in Partnership for the Goals Event
More than one hundred regional leaders from different organizations in east central Florida came together as part of the region’s first Partnership for the Goals event. The two-day summit was a partnership between the Brookings Institution, the East Central Florida Regional Resilience Collaborative, housed at the East Central Florida RPC, the Central Florida Foundation, the University of Central Florida’s Center for Global Environmental and Economic Opportunity, Orange County, the City of Orlando, and Florida for Good.

The purpose of Partnership for the Goals was to break from business-as-usual and leverage the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) framework as a tool for common conversation across government, philanthropic, academic, business, and civic society that often struggle to connect across professional vocabularies and organizational reference points.

The event resulted in new connections and yielded more than two dozen actionable ideas. Most importantly, the event is the culmination of new collaborations across sectors in the region. The Brookings Institute stated it is quickly becoming a model for other global communities and will remain a cornerstone event of the East Central Florida Regional Resilience Collaborative’s efforts for years to come.
 Join us December 7-9, 2022
 
at the Renaissance World Golf Village Resort in St. Augustine
Early Registration Fee is $345 until Sept. 30, 2022