Agenda 09-26-23 Boynton Beach Affordable Housing
Advisory Committee (AHAC)
September 26; 210123
RJ Ramirez
Community Improvement Manager
Appointed Committee Members
Elected Official
Elected Official Alternate
Representative of essential services personnel
Engaged as a not-for-profit provider of affordable housing
Engaged in the banl,--ing industry in connection with affordable housing
Engaged as a for-profit provider of affordable housing
Represents those areas of labor actively engaged in home building in
connection with affordablehousing
Represents employers within the Jurisdiction
The AHAC Responsibilities
• The AHAC is designed to help the local government consider how its local
policies, rules, and regulations affect the cost of housing development, housing
affordability, and how the local government can improve its policies to encourage
affordable housing.
• Main responsibility: to produce an annual report with recommendations on local
affordable housing incentives.
• Approve the final report by "affirmative vote of a majority of the membership of
the AHAC taken in-person at a public meeting."
A H AC Agenda & Next Steps
• Today:
o Review last year's report
o Consider any changes if needed
• If no changes are needed
o Set date to vote in-person to approve report
• Send 2023 AHAC Housing Incentives Report to City Commission and Florida
Housing Finance Corporation
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Expedited Permitting
• The processing of approvals of development orders or permits, as defined in
F.S. 163.3164(7) and (8), for affordable housing projects is expedited to a
greater degree than other projects.
• Purpose: Reduces wait times for developers
• Statutorily required
Benefits of an Expedited Permit Process
• Helps avoid setbacks by designating a staff member to shepherd a project through
the approval process.
• Gives staff opportunity to work closely with the developer to offer additional
support as necessary.
Expedited Permitting
• The Department of Development is responsible for processing and facilitating
affordable housing projects (e.g. site plan review, permitting, inspections, etc.) and
expedites such reviews involving workforce and affordable housing units pursuant to
the City's Expedited Development Review Program. In part, the Program requires
assignment of a single staff liaison to ensure quick communications with staff, sets a
maximum review period of 7 business days, defines/requires a quick conflict/problem
resolution process, and allows consideration of a flexible or tailored fee schedule
program (City Code of Ordinances, Part III, Chapter 2, Article I, Section 4). This benefit also applies to
individual building permits for SHIP or CDBG rehabilitation projects (As adopted by
resolution R22-032 —Affordable Housing Advisory Committee — FY 2021 Housing Incentives Recommendation
Report). Moreover, the Department of Development has implemented a new electronic
permit system. The new electronic permitting system has been calibrated to provide
electronic notification to guide staff to proper implementation to the review process. In
addition, relevant City staff will continue to educate developers about the new
functionalities of the electronic permitting system.
DISCUSSION
• Discussion of existing processes
• Recommendations?
I
Process of Ongoing Review
• "The 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."
• Purpose: Requires local governments to consider how proposed governmental
actions may affect the cost of housing development.
• Statutorily required
Process of Ongoing Review
• The Department of Development, the Community Improvement Division and the
AHAC will continue to review all policies, procedures, ordinances, regulations
and plan provisions to determine what effects, if any, they may have on the cost of
producing affordable units prior to their passage. Proposed ordinances will be
reviewed in sufficient time needed to evaluate and comment on any potential
impact on the provision of affordable housing (As adopted by resolution R22-032 — FY2021
AHAC Housing Incentives Recommendation Report).
DISCUSSION
• Discussion of existing processes
• Recommendations?
Surplus Lands Inventory
• "The preparation of a printed inventory of locally owned public lands suitable for
affordable housing."
• Purpose: Reducing or eliminating the cost of land, decreases the cost of
developing affordable housing.
• Statutory Requirement since 2007: Create a Surplus Land Inventory for affordable
housing F.S. 125.379 and F.S. 166.0451 (2020)
Public Land Inventory
• The Community Improvement Division maintains a current inventory of vacant
land owned by the City of Boynton Beach and Palm Beach County within the
target area. The City funds land acquisition in an effort to acquire land for
potential pre-qualified homebuyers. This effort has resulted in considerable cost
saving in the production of affordable units. A list of vacant land suitable for
affordable housing in the City, is available as a link on the City's website for easy
access for developers (As adopted by resolution R22-032 — FY2021 AHAC Housing Incentives
Recommendation Report).
DISCUSSION
• Discussion of existing processes
• Recommendations?
I I I
Modification of Street Requirements
• "The modification of street requirements for affordable housing"
• Purpose: Ensures that more of the buildable land is available for affordable
housing development.
• The City has not considered this incentive.
DISCUSSION
• Discussion of existing processes
• Recommendations?
Support of Development Near Transportation Hubs
• "The support of development near transportation hubs and major
employment centers and mixed-use developments."
• Purpose: Decrease transportation costs to increase housing affordability
Support of Development Near Transportation Hubs
• As part of the Workforce Housing Program, developers may be entitled to
request higher density land use and zoning category, if providing workforce
housing units, for projects located within the Downtown Transit Oriented
Development District (City Code of Ordinances, Part Ill, Chapter 1, Article V, Section 2.C).
AHAC recommendation to include affordable housing units in the
Downtown Transit Oriented Development District (As adopted by resolution R22-032
— FY2021 AHAC Housing Incentives Recommendation Report).
• The Department of Development is working on amending the City Code of
Ordinances to include the AHAC's recommendation.
DISCUSSION
• Discussion of existing processes
• Recommendations?
Fee Waivers for Affordable Housing
• "All allowable fee waivers provided for the development or construction of
affordable housing."
• Fees to consider for waiver or reduction:
• Impact fees
• Permitting fees
• Inspection fees
• Site plan review
• Rezoning or other hearing fees
• Engineering Fees
• Purpose: To reduce development cost.
Fee Waivers for Affordable Housing
• The City has a fee exemption for Art in Public Places for the percent of the project
dedicated to affordable housing (City Code of Ordinances Part II, Chapter 2, Article XII,
Section 2-163)
• City's Impact fees (Parks, Water and Sewer) may be subsidized for new constructions of
affordable housing projects with SHIP funds. In conjunction with the SHIP down payment
assistance; at closing the developer could receive a credit for City's impact fee paid from
the SHIP Program, by meeting all of the following conditions:
o Purchase price is at or below of SHIP Program Maximum Purchase Price (Maximum purchase price is
updated yearly by Florida Finance Corporation)
o Home buyer is income eligible to participate on the City's Purchase Assistance Program
o Home buyer participates in the City's SHIP Purchase Assistance Program
The Building Department will offer non-profit developers constructing Affordable
Housing dwellings up to two expedited permit reviews at no cost (a credit up to
$1,000.00) as long as the buyer participates in the City's SHIP Purchase Assistance
Program (Adopted by Resolution R23-006 — FY 2022 AHAC Housing Incentives
Recommendation Report).
DISCUSSION
• Discussion of existing processes
• Recommendations?
I
Flexible Densities
• "The allowance of flexibility in densities for affordable housing."
• Purpose: Increased density offers an economic incentive. Build more housing
on a given plot of land.
Flexible Densities
• The City allows for increased floor area ratios and densities in selected
residential districts to incentivize the provision of affordable dwelling units.
The City has a density bonus in place as part of the Workforce Housing
Program. A developer may elect to obtain a density bonus and/or a height
bonus through the construction of the workforce units on-site or off-site,
monetary contribution, donation of land, or purchase of units to be designated
as workforce (City Code of Ordinances, Part III, Chapter 1, Article V, Section 2.C). The AHAC
recommended for this incentive to include affordable housing on projects
located city-wide (As adopted by resolution R22-032 — FY2021 AHAC Housing Incentives
Recommendation Report).
• The Department of Development is working on amending the City Code of
Ordinances to include the AHAC's recommendation.
DISCUSSION
• Discussion of existing processes
• Recommendations?
I
Reservation of Infrastructure
• "The reservation of infrastructure capacity for housing for very-
low-income persons, low-income persons, and moderate-income
persons."
• Purpose: To guarantee new developments will meet concurrency
requirements by meeting designated levels of service for certain
types of infrastructure.
• The City has not considered this incentive
DISCUSSION
• Discussion of existing processes
• Recommendations?
Accessory Dwelling Units
• "The allowance of affordable accessory residential units (ADU)in residential zoning
districts."
• Purpose: To increase the supply of affordable/workforce rental units. To decrease the
cost of housing.
• An ADU is a "an ancillary or secondary living unit, that has a separate kitchen,
bathroom, and sleeping area, existing either within the same structure, or on the same
lot, as the primary dwelling unit." F.S. 163.31771 (e.g. Granny flats, mother-in-law
suites, backyard apartments, accessory apartments, garage apartments).
• The City has not considered this incentive.
• AHAC Comments: The City should explore the use and availability of ADU for
affordable housing city-wide as long as the units are built according to code.
• Staff Comments: The Department of Development is working on an ordinance for
ADUs to be set for affordable Units.
DISCUSSION
• Discussion of existing processes
• Recommendations?
Parking and Setback Requirements
• "The reduction of parking and setback requirements for affordable housing."
• Purpose: Lower development costs (for parking) and ensure that more buildable
land is available for housing development
Parking and Setback Requirements
• Affordable housing units require a minimum of two (2) spaces regardless of the
number of bedrooms. All other homes are required to provide a minimum of two
(2) spaces plus extra spaces depending on the total bedrooms provided. For
construction of a new single-family or two-family structure, a minimum of two (2)
spaces are required per unit, or one (1) space per bedroom, whichever is greatest.
An exception may be made when the house is constructed for individuals meeting
purchase or eligibility requirements that include maximum income thresholds,
then a maximum of two (2) parking spaces shall be required per dwelling unit (City
Code of Ordinances, Part III, Chapter 4, Article V, Section 2.13).
• AHAC Comments: No new recommendation was made.
DISCUSSION
• Discussion of existing processes
• Recommendations?
I
Flexible Lot Configurations
• "The allowance of flexible lot configurations, including zero-lot-line
configurations for affordable housing."
• Purpose: To allow affordable housing development on smaller parcels.
• Zero-lot-line = two neighboring houses back to back, with a common
wall between
• Allow smaller setbacks to offer more freedom arranging a single home
or multiple units a on lot.
• Ideal tool for facilitating "missing middle" housing types and infill
development.
Flexible Lot Configurations
• The City has not considered allowing zero lot line standards for
affordable housing; however, the City has eliminated the minimum lot
size standard for select neighborhoods within the Redevelopment Area.
• Older residential areas of the City of Boynton Beach CDBG target area
have several nonconforming lots that were unbuildable due to lot size
and frontage requirements. In order to allow single-family residences to
be built on these lots, Ordinance No. 20-018 was adopted that modified
minimum lot area per unit, lot frontage, and building setbacks (front,
interior side, corner side, and rear).
• AHAC: No new recommendation was made.
DISCUSSION
• Discussion of existing processes
• Recommendations?
• Questions and Comments
Next Meeting
• Tentative Scheduled: In-person Meeting is on November I, 2023 at 6:00 pm at
City Hall Commission Chambers