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Workforce housing bill proposed by county
By THOMAS MICHALSKI
| Article published on Thursday, April 17, 2008 |
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| Anthony Jones, Pinellas County community development director, addresses Pinellas Park City Council. |
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PINELLAS PARK – The City Council heard a proposal at its April 10 meeting on the planned inclusionary housing ordinance that calls for the construction of affordable housing units in Pinellas County.
Anthony Jones, county community development director, said there is a need for affordable or “workforce” housing. He said the measure would require future housing developments of 20 or more units to include a percentage of affordable housing.
Jones is one of several county officials appearing before Pinellas County’s municipal governments to tout the benefits of the ordinance.
“Pinellas County has grown enormously and quietly in recent years,” Jones said. “The population will double in the next 50 years.”
Jones said the predicted growth comes with a need to provide housing for essentially middle income families who work mostly in the public sector and service industries with annual incomes of between $30,000 and $70,000.
Jones said the plans do not call for homeless shelters or low income subsidized housing. He said future developments essentially would be home to “mixed income” families located near employment centers to eliminate commuting.
Jones said many workers are forced to live in Pasco County and other less expensive locations.
“We hope to get builders to create moderately priced developments that are affordable for everyone,” Jones said.
The incentives for builders would be determined by existing local land development and comprehensive plan regulations. The number of Inclusionary units would be calculated on the total units in a proposed housing development. Additional incentives would be available from local government agencies.
Pinellas County’s 24 municipalities and unincorporated communities have been built-out due to increasing populations and business growth. The loss of apartment buildings and especially mobile home parks have added to the lack of workforce housing reductions. Rents have skyrocketed and purchasing single-family homes for many is impossible due to the economic climate that includes rising living costs and salaries that do not keep up with expenses.
The objective of the proposed ordinance is to use a creative approach to force a balance between a need for affordable housing without transferring costs to other home buyers.
County officials hope that the measure will create multi-income, mixed use developments that combine residential commercial, retail and green space in areas close to jobs.
They hope municipal level government officials will embrace the proposed county ordinance as a means of help to provide housing.
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Article published on Thursday, April 17, 2008
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