AHAC Minutes 01/16/2024-lenuarr' l(r. l()l.l
\fINUTES OF THE COLLIER COLTNT}'
AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Naples, Florida, January 16,2024
LET IT BE REIvIIIMBERED. the Collier Counry Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. in
and for the Counry of Collier. having conducted business herein. met on this date at 9 a.nl. in
REGULAR SLSSION at rhe Collier Counw Growth Management Communiry Development
Department Building, Conference Room #6091610,2800 Horseshoe f)rive N.. Naples. Florida.
u'ith the follorving menrbers present:
Chairman: Steve Hruby
Vice Chair: Jennifer Faron
Arol Buntzman
Thomas Felke (Absent)
Gary Hains
Commissioner Chris Hall
Todd Lyon
Hannah Robens
Paul Shea
Andreu'Terhune
Mary Waller
Countv Staff Members Present:
James French. Department Head GMCD
cormac Giblin. Dir., Housing Policy & Economic Development. GMCD
Sarah Harringlton, Plannirg M*"g.r. Housing Policy & Economic Development' GMCD
Derek Perry', Assisunt County Attomcy
Jaime Cook, Director, Deveiopment Review, GMCD
Julic Chardon. Ops Support Specialist Il. GMCD
Mike Bosi. Director, Zoning & Planning Department, GMCD
Ikisti Sonntag, Director, communiry & Human Services Division. PSD
Donald Luciano, Assistant Director. community & Human Services Division. PSD
Richard Long. Director. Building, G:UCD
Evclyn Trimino, Manager - Financial Operations' GMCD
Kirsten Wilkie. Manager - Business Center' GMCD
ir ruan Ir.. lUi.l
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Any persons in need of a verbatim record of the meeting may request a cop) of the audio
rccording from the Collier County Growth llanagement Departmenl
CALL TO ORDER & PLEDGE OT- ALLEGI.A\CE
Chairman Hruby called the rneeting to order at 9 a.m. and the comminec I -'ciled the Pledgc
ofAllegiance.
2. ROLL CALI- OF CO}IMITTf,E }TEMBERS AND STAFF
Mr. Giblin called thc roll call. A quorum of l0 w'as present in the boardrot' ':; tu'o other
rnembers arrived later. He noted that Ms. Waller was excused (she arrived I rrer at 9:'15 am)
Vice Cheir Faron requested an addition to the agenda. establishing a 1024 rlortplan' noting
that they have one for 202-i.
Chairman Hruby said they can add that to New Business. I-le also asked t,' add a Live l,ocal
Act Forum Update abour the uortshop ULI is spon-sorine in March.
3. APPROVAL OF.{GENDA A.r-D }IINUTES
a. Approval of today's egenda
7{r. Hains mode a rnotion lo accepl the agenda- Second by -Vr. Tcrhunt. The motion
passed unanimous$,, I0-0,
2024 Chairman end Yice Chair nomination
Planning Commissioner Shea mtde s motion lo trominale Steve Hrub) us chair. Second
by,lls. Roberts. The motion passed unanimousll', l0-0.
|lln L7'on made a motion to nominale Jennifer Faron as vice chair. Setontl b1t Plannilg
Commissioner Shea The motion passed unanimousll', I0-0.
c.
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Approval of December 19. 2023, AIIAC meeting minutes
llls- Robens made o motion lo approt'e the December 19, 2023, meetiru ninules, Second
by Mn Terhune- The motion passed unanimousll', l0-0.
4. INFOR}trATIONALITE}IS,.TIiDPRESENT.{TION
a. Habitat for Humanity Presentation (L. Lelkow)
lfs. Lefltow derailed bosics and facts aboat Habitat thq, may nol knorL:
. Collier County is one ofHabitat for Humanity's oldest affiliates in thc U.S.
. In 1978. incorporated as Immokalee }labitat for Humanity and t :rranded in 1000
as Habitat for Humaniry of Collicr Counry.
o Work in partnership s'ith qualified buyers rvho generalll' make h-'tveen 3002n and
llO9ir ot'the area median income (AM[).
. The partnership model includes an in"cstmenl ofsrveat equitl'. rrr.'aning approved
applicants invest time helping to build homes for themselves anil neighbors.
. They must successfull]- complete a robust pre-purchase educatii i: program.
. The expcctation is they'll be lilttime panners, advocates and an:i.rrssadors for
Habitat for Humanity in the future.
. For the past nvo decades, we have been rhe largest producing Hir;,iut atfiliatc in
the U.S.
. There are about 1.000 Habitat afliliates nation$'ide.
. There are only 45 affiliates producing more than a dozen homes yearll'
. For the first 20 1'ears, rve primarily focused on infill housin-l: buy a lot. build a
house. sell a housc.
o One myth is that s'e give homes auay. Our model calls for the sale of homes at
l% below appraised ralue. financed u'ith an interest-free loan. Wc go fiom bcing
the builder to the bank and finance loans wirhout interest.
e Our Pathways to Aflordability is hou'rve finance homes and keep thcm
affordable.
Ms. LeJltow delailed a PowerPoinl presenlatiort, Pothwafs to Alfordabili$:
o Our first mongage is based on -109'o of a home buyer's monthly income and is
made up of monthly paymcns of principal and no interest and an escrowresen'c
uaao*i foa paop".ty taxes. homeowners insurance' flood insurance and
homeorvncrs association ducs.
o The monthly paymcnr is capped. Habirat aims for 28% ofmonthly income and not
oYer l0%.
. If the first mongage doesn't bring us to l7o below appraised value, a second
mongage is deptoyed to hold equiry betu'een rvhat's affordable and the sales
price.
. iftherc's still a need for affordability assistance, Habitat will deploy a silent/third
mongage, which is lbrgiven over the term of the mongage The third mongage is
a forgivcn mongage and requircs a rcsrictive covenan!
. The second mortgagc is defcned. so payment isn't expected until 50 years or
transfer oftitle. whichever comes first.
. Habitat ior Humanity begins by uorking *'ith colleagues in the counry housing
depaftment to provide gap funding for affordabiliry and look for assistance
ftrough the SHIP Program.
. Nlostlifnot all, our families annually quali$ for an impact-fee deferral'
.HabiattblHumanityhopeswecanhelplobbyforanincreaseintlenumberof
developer-impact fee deferrals that can be deployed Currently, there's a
marimum of 50 developer impact fees that can be issued to developers during
construction. They're transferred to a nerv buyer post-purchase, so s'e want to
insease drat. Theie have been times that it's stymied us because we pull all 50
developer agreements and then we have a bit of lag time'
Planning Commissioner Shea asked how long the deferrals last and what happens rvhen
that's no longcr availablc to them?
Ms. l,"n<ooisaid ttre impact-tee deferral stays in place and is repaid ar transfer ofritle. It
collects some inlerest ovcr lime. but il gets retumed to county coffers'
Ms. LeJkow continued her "Pathways to Alfordability" Presentalion:
o The SHIP progran cap is 550,000 per approved applicant'
. B.*rr. oi thJ huge affordability gap, panicularly at the lowest end of the inconre
.p.",^-, people iraking 530-000-50,000' Habitat hopes thcre will be an
oiponuni,y to increase ihe amount of StllP funds that can be deployed She'
l
Iir lutlr\ l(r.:l)lJ
Kristi and Don have been discussing lhat for some tinc.
o lhere also arc funds available ftrough the Federal Home Loiut A lbrdable
Housing Program. in temrs of the colnpetitive progranr- which pli'r'ides funding
tbr infrastrucrure when it's available and dou'n-paymcnr assistan. ' for particular
home buyer scgments. Thc restrictivc covcnant is dcployed with ihose who
require a silent or third ntortgage.
. Thc second lhing we do is fill in funding for those at the lowest rrrcorne brackct
rvith SHIP dos'n-paymenl assistance or new consmlction appliclitrons. We nos'
can access sorle home funds and thar rvill help bridge that gap at lile low end.
. On a first mon-sage. the mar(imum temr is 38 years. Based on ea.:r flrrnily.,'s
income. we milor the mortgage term to keep the monthly payme: I affordable
. A( the high end ofour income bracket. those people are capable ( I'carrying the
entire first mortgage. For the lowest cnd lheir first mongage is srrrall by
comparison.
o Habitat for Humanity fill in thc next block rvitb deferred mortgar ' s. For peoplc
q,ho necd that assistance. rvc defer pan of their mortgage for the :i(l-year term or
transfer oftitle. so it would get rcpaid rvhen the propery is sold.
o That funding never gets rcpaid iflhe;' remain in their home. For rl)ose bu)'ers. \Ye
deploy the restrictive covenant which says an-v future sale of the Irorne nlust be to
an incomenualified family making less than 120% of the area nr-Jian incomc
. A critical pan ofour mission is generation ofwealth. the key to l,elping break the
cycle of poverty. We want to ensure there's an opportunify to acL :ss the equitf in
a home. but we don't want it to be unbridled.
o \Vhen we've deployed this assisrance in the term ofa lorgivable )rortgage. \re cap
thc cquity or appraised value that can be pulled on second or fi:ttrrc sales. This
also prolects our inr entory i-o perpetuitl .
. Habiut for Hurnaniry also build our homeowners/propertv owner \ associations by
embedding HOA fees within thc mongage. HOA govcming docr,rtlenrs and lhc
deed. That includes requiring units to be ou'ner-occupied. This ir lelatively ncs.
She's sad they didn't do it fiom the lrcginning. Wc u'ould harc nr,,rc inventoq
today. Today. all homes are required to be orvler-occupied.
o Habitat for Humanity havc urique itenrs embedded in our mortg,,{cs that hclude
the requirement that nobody moves into a Habitat house unless:lr:y were on the
original apphcation. adopted or bom into the family, or have bec:r approved
through our vetting process.
o Habitat for Humanity have a unique clause that says any crimina :rctir it; or
conviction ofany household member would put that nortgage at risk of
foreclosure. We have the capacity to foreclose on homes in rhos. cases and we'r'e
only had to do that once.
. Habitat for Humanity is ncaring complction of Whitakcr Woods l:or the first time
in our 46-year history, rve have three subdivisions under constru' tiort
simulrancously. Whitaker Woods is south of Davis Boulevard bctrvcen Sanra
Barbara Boulevard and County Barn Road. lt's a mulri-family d:r elopment'
. All our neighborhoo& are now multi-family. we haven't built .Irgle-family unis
tbr some time in our quest to bring more families into home our:"'rship
r 125 homeorvners rvill be living in Whiuker Woods by mid-sumrrler' It's a tlvo-
story townhome ir a triplcx/quadruplcx configuration.
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. Our second ncighborhood is Songbird at Whippoonvill. We purchascd the
propenl and paid for some of the infrastructure rvith a SHIP and a C'DBG Homc
Crant. It's offPine Ridge Road on Whippoor*ill Lane and features 52 units in a
stacked condominiunr conli guration.
. This is our first stacked condo. t\r'o stories. unit ovcr a unit, a desigr that's been
vcrv u ell received. We're grateful for a partnership rvith (architect) Matt Kragh.
sto designed the building. They're erght and l2-plcxes. fir'e buildings totaling 51
units.
. Habitat for Humaniry iust celebrated the dedicalion of the first l5 houses in
Kaicasa. our largest subdivision to date. It's on thc south side of lmmokalee, next
to Fann \\'orkers' Village. south of Imntokalee. just east ofAve Maria.
o It's a bcautrful location for Ave Maria and Arthrex employees and Immokalee
emplol,crs and residenls who rvork s'esl olthere in the counry'and cit-v.
o Kaicasa features 281 homes rvith a nvo-slory Iownhome design with garages
that's different &om Whitaker Woods. It's a very conlemporary design. We're
elected Io use color in a unique way. so each building employs three colors, so it
makes a beautiful neighborhood, and has tumed out to be quite popular.
. The hardest thing uc do is to name neighborhoods and streets. Kaicasa is nvo
languages for home. In Creole, Kai is lrome and in Spanish, casa is home.
Immokalee also means "rny home."
!l! s. LeJkow responded:
o Habitat for Ilumanity provide somc lirttited sen'ices primarily t'ocused ou
Vice Chair Faron asked rvhat thc biggest misconception is about $'hat Habitat for
Humanirl'does. and how does the current inlerest rate market affect rvhat 1'ou're doing
relative to your cost ofcapital to be able to providc the first, sccond and third mongages?
M* Lelkow responded that:
. There are so many mr,ths about Habitat's work. Thc first is that Jimmy Carter
saned Habitat for Humanity. Millard Fuller is our founder.
o The second myh is that Ne give homes away. The third is that we work with only
single parents, single ntoms, immigrants, name a population group' etc'
. Habitat tbr l'lumanity has a diverse population base. One ofthe beautiful things
about Habitat neighborhoods is how remarkably divcrse they arc'
o Another mFh is that Habitat neighborhoods are full of criminals'
. Habital for Humaniry invest in a long-tenn relationship, so we stay in touch u'ith
our families and we have homeowners associations. There are requirements ald
we're very active in the HOA to ensure Habitat neighborhoods remain qualitv
neighborhoods into thc funue.
Vice Chair Faron asked if therc are any supportivc services or connections to suppon
sen,ices providers. She cones from a lorv-income housing tar credit background, where
it.s hard io house people rvho conre in rvith many social issues. The model u'orks. but it's
on shakv financial ground, so how does Habiut corurect to its providers"'
[Conmissioner Ilall joined the nteeting al 9:26 u.n.]
ij rLl.lrl l(). :rl:.1
cducation, pre-purchilse and post-purchase.
There's ongoing work through bomeow[ers associations and collr:cLir iq to
xraparound sen'iccs. but ue'rc primarily a rcfcrral agent. We'rc "scr locuscd on
homc ownership and building successttl honreowners.
The interest rate market on our capital affects us \\re don't char!'- interest and n1'
not to pay intetesl. Our Collier County financing model is largell dependcnt on
philanthropy, our largest income srream. (Shc provided dre AH.\r s ith annual
repons).
Our second largest revenue stream is residents' monlhly mongag r payments. \\re
servicc all our loans and have an active ponfolio ofjust under l.L' U0 mortgages.
About 600 are satisfied. The majority oforiginal owners are still n their honres,
so ftcre's not a lot oftransition in and out ofhomes. lt bccomes . gencrational
homestead. The bcnefil is &at they become property taxpayers.
Interest docsn't affcct us the way it Nould a busincss. Thar's realr) bolrolving
capital. We try not to borrow. We have a line of crcdit widr our l, ink' but wc try
not to acccss it bccause se don'l sant to pav intcrcst.
One of our other initiatives for income is to levenge our roughll S I .t0 million
mongage portfolio. \\'e leverage that by selling or assigning mor:gages to local
banliing parlrers that necd low-income loans to satisry Communrty Ileinvestment
.Act requirenrents. When the interest rate is lorv, they're better ah c to sen'e lo\ler
income populations. \!'hen the interest rate is high, it's vcry dilli,.:rlt. so it gives
us an oppom:nit-v to improve the relationship rvith our banking p rrmers.
Chairman Hrub!' asked what Habiht's tbreclosure rate is and rvhl'did r ou ntove away
from single-famill homes on sinele lots into nrulti-famill'. Do 1ou tind i: s beneficial?
Ms Lcf*ow responded:
. Ilabirat for Humaniry havc a high ratc ofsucccss and work hard rl cnsure
homeowners ale successful. One u ay is b1. a-sking hommuners : ., nlake mortgage
payments in pcrson, so we see families come to our officc month)y and we know
&em. we hear theirjoys. celebrations and academic successes.
o Moving from single family to rrulti-family: We've invested grellly in the design
and site planning to ensurc the lcssons leamed are deployed and rrtat tve're
building sustainable neighborhoods that work rvell and wc have .r product
desirable to not only Habitat buycrs, but the ncighborhood and c,,rntrunit-v.
r For J5 years, we built the same house over and over. Nolv we hrrr e a u'ider stable
of different designs, which provides flexibility.
. The flip sidc is that highcr HOA fees put a dosnward prcssurc 0r: thc first
mortgage, so when you're talking about fee sirnplc. none oftbat iontes into play.
Nou'rve have a decper budget and that puts a linle dorvnrvard pr-''surc on our
capacity to fill out I first mortgage.
Cheirman Hruby commended Habitat for moving in that direction. Th:s county has
been single-family orienlcd county. -{t most multilamily fbrums. llabit.rl is hcld up as an
example of multilarnily home ownership. u'hich is a best practice aroun.l the country.
He's glad to see Habitat is successful rvith it.
.:
Phnning Commissioner Sher asked what percentage of Habitat's labor is volunteer
versus contract. Everybody sees piclures ofvolunteers putting a house up in a rveekend
but it's all lolunteer labor. That's a different model for you here.
llt s. LeJ*ow respo n ded :
o We have a huge volunteer corps of 2.000 people u'ho will come day in. day out
to volunteer and all our appro'r'ed applicants arc voluntecrs and put in their sweat
equity.
. Our o*'n labor. as rvc invest in the oversiglt ofconsruclion and helping
volunleers to build and deploy our osn labor force. costs us about S 18.000 a
unit.
. Habitat esdmate the savings ofwhat rvc'd ha\.e to pay subcontractors. based on
our volunleer corps. saves us about 520,000 a unit.
Mr. Lyon said the AHAC is passionate about affordable housing. As individuals or a
group. rvhar would be our call to action from 1'ou? How can wc help?
Ms. LeJhow responded:
, You're all essential as we continue to find ways to purchase land and go through
zoning and Permitting Processcs.. Your iupport is critical as we go before the Board of Counry Commissioners so
she's grateful for that.
. Undeitanding the model' history and legacy is imponant' Iiabitat for Humanity
got a long fa;k rccord of succcss that we need to build on and ensurc rve'rc
fontiru"iiy aware ofother opportunities or pannerships tlral can be ibrged' ways
wc can move fonvard and iicrease our abilit-v to sen'c this community and
ensure our workforcc is safely and affordably housed here to create long-term
stabilitY.
commissioner Hall asked how Habitat is handling thc insurancc challengc and hou' they
handle insuance for multifamily homes and HOAs:
,1
,Vs Lefltow responded:
. The costs ofbuilding multifamily homes adds challenges. we can't use volunteers
in the same way that \\'c can u'hcn building a singJc-fanrill, stick honre. but \r'c
kno\& it's the right thing to do.
. The model ofaccess to affordability is thc only way rve'rc ablc to cover
increasing costs. Risin-s costs are our greatest challenge, the rising cost of land,
competition for land. and the cost of infrastructurc has cxponentially gonc bc1'ond
our strategic plan, even with inflators in place as we budget for the future.
. Habitat for Humaniry is rvorking on the neighborhood of Majesric Place. Tu'o
years ago. u'c did budgetin-e for )\'lajestic. Wc talked lo subconlractor partners and
had an idea about inliastructure costs based on their carl)' cslimates. a roughly 55
million dollar investment- Eleven months latcr- u'e u'cnl out to bid and bids came
in at Sl2 million- so rve'r'e never seen this kind ofinflation and costs.
l:rrr..ur lr'. I (ll-1
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Ms LeJkow responded:
o Every homeowner has insurancc. Habitat for Huntanity require. Lhat as the
lender.
. The insurarcc challenges roday are huge. so rve assist families t rrough
education. We continually offer cducation classes on insurance. rncouraging
them to bid out their insuralce. get new quotes and to talk lo oll cr insurance
companies.
. Habitat for Humanity make surc they'rc awarc ofwhat's causilrir insurance rates
to rise. whether it's an aging roof, which used to be 20 years an,l now is l0 years,
or nraking sure their credit rate credit rating is healthy. \Yhich irr.urancc
companies look at.
. Multifamily construction is new enough that we haven't seen lrt 3e incrcases.
Those homes have relatilely neu roofs. so \r'e don't hal'e agin3 iromes, but it
rvill come-
o In a condominium association, rhose items are managed by the IIOA and the
HOA budget must respond.
Casa San Juan Diego Update, \ational Development of America (J. llaymond)
Mr. Raymond told the AEAC:
. National Devclopment ofAmerica is a Fort Myers-based affordrrhle housing
developer and have six projecrs under construction in Southwest !'lorida.
o We have three others about to sran in Louisiana and Texas. but , ur tbcus is the
Southwest Florida market.
o San Juan Diego is in a similar siruation $ith the diocese. It's ad.t.rcent to Our Lady
ofGuadalupe Church in lmmokalee. They our l0 acres imrnedi rtely to the s'est
ofthe parish that we have now.
o We secured funding through Florida Housing- rvhich the B(lC al,Proved in
Dcccmber. \Vc have onc 1'car to rcturn to thc BCC for closing. ( osing gcnerally
follows about 90 days later, so wc havc a Ql 2025 closing.
. John Raymond planned to bring in renderings. the site plan arld ,tther items. but
we made somc modifications. so he didn't \uant to prcsent a plar ihat rvillchange.
He'd like to reum to the All{C in nvo months once it's formal ,cd.
o Nalional Development of America had more meetings rvith the ( (,uut\,. so t's
morc of a ungible product.
o (He sho*,ed photos ofSt. Percr Claver Place .,\partments, a 136-LLnit affordable-
housing developmenr in Fon Mycrs notv undcr construction.r National Development of America has approval norv in Imrnok . ee and rve'll be
building three-story construction. St. Perer is a nvo-stor1' buildir' .: but thar's rvhat
we're basing it on.. Everyd:ing is concrete-block consruction, hollorv-corc planli. ir',rnact rvindots.
Wc don't build srick hcre due to hurricanes and rcrnrircs.o Boston Avenue in lmmokalee is a gravel road with significant t.,rholes and is
allnost impassable. That road will be improved and rhere will bc .ideu'alks
heading out and connccting us to rhc main conrmuniry.
s
Ms. Lelkow thanked the AHAC for their work. leadership and for beinu .1 panncr.
-lanuarr 16. l():.1
Chairman Hrubl'asked him to erplain the funding stack.
Mr. Raymond responded:
o National Devclopment of America has 4o,ir taxes and bonds. SAIL (State
Apartn'lenr Inccntive Loan program) funds from thc sute and received 537-500
fronr Collier Countl'.
o We'll also have a first mortgage. The sizing is dependent on ilrat.
e Ar St. Peter. wc funded rhat project in fall 2020 and through the closing process
under a process for Florida Housing and then construction. With inflation, we
originally underwrote 5800 per unit for insurance, but rve'll bc permiuing in the
next 90 days and it's now between 52,000 and $2'500 per unit.
r There's been a 30-3-5% increase yearly for the last four or five years, so it causes
somc instability on the funding side. but construction costs and rates have
stabilized. As u'e work through meetings and get our site plan dcveloped. we'll
havc a better idca ofcosts.
e . National Development of America also submitted their pre-application for the
2024 fire management grant cYcle.
Mr. Raymond thanked the AHAC and said wc'll be back as the materials get more
tangible.
5. PUBLIC COMI\IENT
(No public sPeakers)
6. DISCUSSIO]'J ITEMS
(None)
[Ms.llaller.ioined the meetirtg at 9:45 a'm'J
7.STAFF.{NDCoM}IITTEEGENERALCoMIIIUNICATIoNS
a. DSAC UPdate (H- Roberts)
Ms. Roberts said there was no January DSAC meeting'
b. Surtax Committee Results (C' Giblin)
Mr. Giblin reported that the lnfrastructrue Surtax Citizen Oversight Committee.met last
Thursday and approved McDowell's project, Ekos on-Collier, to go to the Board 9f
Counry bo*n iiiioners. The Habitat project. Town of Big Cypress. u'as continued'
c. 2024AHAC Meeting Schedule (C' Giblin)
Mr. Giblin toldthe AHAC:
o Meetings will be scheduted every other month in 2024 and if there is a packed
agentta or something that can't wait. suffwill schedule a special meeting during
alternate months.
The calendar in the agenda packet shows the meetings on the third Tuesday of thea
a
month
Full committee parlicipation is expected at these meetings'
9
.1ilu.Ll\ l(r lr)lJ
Chrirmrn Hruby asked if he'd still nreet widr hinr to have thcir bricf di.cussions on the
altemate dates.
Mr. Giblin said yes and ifthere's anything pressing- staffcould have a Ii'ilow-up
meetiog in thc sunshine.
ys, Harrington said AHAC also needs to consider the timing of thc sur- . r commjttce
meetings, which are able to coincide with the sufiax committee. so iianl iring is brought
to the AHAC. they'd see it beforc it goes to the surtax comnlittee.
Chairman Hruby said that's good because wc u'ant to make recommen, i rtions
Vice Chair Faron wanted to ensure they meet every other month. and as needed and
requested to ha\'!'a date pending for the incentive strategies report to en:-.rc completion
in June. Last year. this was approved in November to gire to the BCC in I)ecentber.
Suggested this be revieu'ed and completed b1'the Seprember meeting s(' .rs 10 have thc
draft distributed and cnsure people had time to review it.
A discussion ensued and lhe lollowing points were made:
o Staffbrought the repon lo the AIIAC thee limes last year during three
consecutive mcetings, once u'ilh a very rough draft. oncc aflcr th AH-AC's
collaboration and again rvith a final repon.
. Staffcould bring the strategy repon to the AHAC in September irs a drali. so it
could bc finalized in Novcmber.
o There would be enough time for everyone to revie*' it on their or', n after the
mceting.
Mr. Bunrzman said the Immokalee CRA a-sked *hen Ihe next sun-ey o: itFartnncnt
occupancies will come out.
Mr. Giblin said staffis $ orking on it nos'and it should be done b)'thc .nd of January.
Commissioner Hall suggesled $e AHAC e ventualll s\ritch to quarteril. ntcetings.
Chairman Hrub,v- said they're working toward that but have too much ir.:tivity going on
now.
d. cHS-Quest Contract Update (requested b} \1. \\'aller)
Ms. Sonntag reported that:
o The agenda packet contains the most recenl flyer completed by (.)trcst. l1's for the
rehabilitation program, rvhich is open to all county singlc-famill homeowners' as
u,ell as those s ho rent or owo a condonrinium or tou'nhousc.
o Ifsomeone nceds a roof and they fall below 1209i' AMI, we allo.'lted Sl.2 million
to our rcroof project and have 5500.000 allocatcd to rehabilitatit'rr.
. Ifsomeone ha-s t)ooring that's a trip-ha7:;rd. CHS rvill replacc thcir damagcd
tlooring. Ifcabinets are falling offa rvall. CIIS rvill replace cabirrcts. Thc protram
does nothing cosmetic.
. ,\n independent confaclor assesses the entire propeny-. looks fo: rssues and
provides CHS u,ith a repon and then thc work is bid out.
o Quest also does press relcases. most recentl;- for the grant applie-.tion. and all the
e-mail blasts to the non-profits and anybody on the list who's inlcrcsted in
IO
a
applying tbr grants.
Quest alu'ays maintains our website. u'urr'. colliercountyhousing.com.
Chairman Hrubl' asked ilthose efforts resulted in a broader group of applicants
applying for grants.
Ms. Sonntag said staff do get a broader group of applicants. Can the AHAC elect
someonc to sit on the (Communiry & Human Senices Grants; Revierv & Ranking
Conrmittee for March? It rvould be helpful if you did that today.
Ms. Roberts asked her to explain uhat the Revieu' & Ranking Commirtee does.
Ms. Sonntag responded:
o lt revieg,s all grant applications that come in each year-
. The application cycle has now opened and is in the pre-application c-vcle.
. Anybody intcrested in applying for Community Development Block Grant, SHIP,
Emergency Solutions (RUSH/Rapid Unsheltered Sun'ivor Housing). or home
funding tlrrough thc county goes through that cycle-
. Iiveryone who sits on the committee has to read all the grant applications and
score them.
r lt's usually a full day of reviews and the Revierv & Ranking Committec
completes its list of selected projects.
o It then goes to the county manager, who reviews it and sends it to the BCC for
final approval.
Ms. Roberts nominated Mary Waller.
chairman Hruby said hc was on the committee and worked with staff. but there was no
,igorou, process back then. It"s norv a robust and fair process, a best practice' He asked if
Mary was interested in sitting on it again'
Ms. Walter offered to do it again.
Ms. Roberts asked if she could provide Ms. sonntag rvith a list of the HR contacts for
rhe counry's top cmployers or laigest employers to add to Quest's email blast distribution
list. It u'ould be helpful, even for an applicant pool'
Ms. Sonntag said send her a list and she'll give it !o Quest for an e-mail blast'
Chairman Hrubl'asked u'hen Quest's contract ends'
Ms. Sonntag said she believes it will go out to bid in May. We're preparing the
solicitatic,n norv. It's for a five-year cycle'
Ms. Waller asked if Quest did a prcss release for Ekos on Santa Barbara's ribbon-cutting
ceremon)- last rveek.
N{s. Sonntag said Quest didn't. The county put it on its Facebook.page.
Ms. r*alleriaid it would have been nice if Quest sent one. The ribbon-cutring \r'as the
firsr thing r.hat got everyone moving in the same direction. cormac gave a grcat specch.
Commissioner Hall guu"
"
rip-roaring speech and it was nice to hear a lenant speak'
11
r ru.rn lrr. lt.)14
e. Upcoming Public Meetings (C. Giblin)
Mr. Giblin provided a list of meertngs:
o There are no upcoming Nei-ehborhood Information \{eetings for :,;'fordable-
housing projccts currcntly schedulcd.
. Going before the BCC next Tuesda-v-, Jan. 2-i. is the Mattson (at \ rrnderbilt) PUD,
a 150-unit apartment complex offAnderson Road, with 300,'6 of tlrc units as
affordablc rentals at 80% and 1000.'o of the AMI. That u'as appro\ -d by the
Planning Commission.
. JLM Living is a proposed development off Immokalee Road that "r'as approved
by the Planning Comrnission at ils last meeting. It's not a Live Lt'cal Act project.
It's 305 rental units. 92 of rvhich rvill be affordablc at I 809/o AM I . It goes to the
BCC on Feb. 27. What's unique is it's a rental development. but t's alldetached
or attached single-family units, so it's horizontal.
r Fiddler's Creek Section 29 PUD and PUD Amcndment. Fiddler'. Creck rvants to
add 750 units. including 150 affordable rentals.
o The ribbon-cutting rvas held lasr week for the McDorvell project ,n Sanla
.
Barbara.
Chairman Hruby' said many people asked him horv thel- could rent ther:. It's a greal
tcstament to the fact that affordable housing docs not havc a stignra to it.
A discussion ensued and the following points were made:
o The location is on Santa Barbara lloulevard benveen Radio Roae "rnd Davis
Boulevard.
o It was surplus county-owned land. A fe'*'years ago. the county cl-'cided to help
solve the affordable-housing issue and put it out for bid so devel(rpers could build
something affordable.
. The cntirc process took sevcn years
Mn Bosi provided information on the Mattson project:
o When it goes to the BCC on Jan. 23. it will be a summary itcm tl ,rt rvill be
approved unless someone pulls it from the conseut agenda.
. JLll{ East. an affordable housing project that rvas just heard by ti,: Planning
Commission, had some opposition. so it's not going to be a sumniary item. That
t'ill be on the BCC's Fcb. 27 agenda.
. If anyone wants to go speak and advocate for the affordablehou\ins program, it
rvould be appreciared.
NEW BUSINESS
a. Live Local Act Forum Update (S. Hruby')
Chairman Hruby told the AH.4C:
o Last summer, after the Live Local Act was signed, the AIIAC dir cctcd staff to
create a fbrum to bring together stakeholders in the public and prrvate sector Io
tell the AIIAC about the act's opportunities and obstacles.
o Thc countv rvas understaffed and creating thc forum rtould be diltlcult. so as the
l2
8.
llousing Alliance chair, Chairman Hruby offered the alliance as a sponsor and to
providc the revierv.
Thc program is outlined and put together. Michael Puchalla was exccutive
director and I rvorked u'ith him and olhers to pur guidelines together.
It's the third week of March
\Is. \l'aller asked about the bill to amend the Lile Local Act and rvhether that *ill bc
incorporated into the prescnlation.
Chairman Hruby said conlinned thc bill u'ould be.
Choirman Hruby told lhe AHAC:
o There's a lol ofintercst and attention on that. He was intervierved by Fox 4 last
week on the changes. Fox.l wanted to know the local implication, if they werc
serious and if it rvould hold up the program.
. There's anention on those changes due to zoning issues.
o They're reeling in the l-mile radius to three-quarten ofa mile around the project.
. There's a height restriction now. Ifyou $'ere bet\i'een a 3-story building on either
side ofyour property, even though you could build ro seven or eight stories, you
can onll' build l2-5o/o ofthe height ofthe building next to you.
o They're taken industrial propert)- out of the mix, so it's nou'only commercial and
mixed-use.
. They're providing guidance on horv property appraisers rvilI implement the real-
estate ta\ rate.
Commissioner Hall said they're common-sensc changes.
Chairman Hruby agreed they're common-sense changes. Most of them, fiom al urban
design standpoint. are Positive.
Ms. Waller said it's a compilation of what everyone complained about' They're fixing
the flaws that $'ere there, those that were overlooked or didn't come out like they u'anted.
It's a big overhaul.
chairm-an Hruby said the one that's still vaguc is that the original legislation said "the
maximunr density within your jurisdiction." Nou'they'rc saying that excludes any
variances or special purposes. It does not define if something changed' ifa PUD is
rncorporated, or ifyou have PUDs or zones. Ifyou change zoning in an area' you have a
much larger zoning there that exceeds your normal high densities There's still
clarificattn needed. He and Michael ha'e discussed ho\\'\ue can get a clarification
b€fore \larch to see if rve can get that in the discussion.
Commissioner Hall asked Mr. Bosi hou'manv Live Local Applications there were'
Mr. Bosi responded:
r Receired a numbcr of inquiries.
o The most linriting factor is the language lhat says "the most similar zoning district
within dre judsdiction."
. The nlosr similar zoning district fiom a multi-family standpoint is our Residential
\lulti-Family l6 Zoning District. The problem is that it has a development
tl
rlrulrr l(r. l(|24
sandard that says that your tiort-yard sctback is halfthe height o' 1'cur buildin-e
A lot ofthese parcels rhey'\'e inquired about are shallo$ er parcel r. rneaning the
heighr they can attain, halfth€ height ot'the building developrrent standard, is
pretr]. limiling.
Scveral projects sought Zonins Verification l-ctters. but onll onc lrojcct
indicated continuing to a Sitc-Development Plan.
It sounds like the changes thel"re making are even more limitjn-q. .o utrsure horv
thc potcntial changes willhave a positi!,e effcct in Erms ofntorc .ttilizarion in
Collier Countl-.
Because of the rvay the statutcs arc sructured. rve're applying a divclopment
smndard that's some*hat limiting for these projecrs to move lbn\ irrd.
It's created an environmenl in which not as mzny projects as antiripated rvill be
associatcd \\ ith thc Lir c Local Act oppomrnitl .
Chairman Hrubl said that's pafi ofgening logether lo identiry $'hcre ti osc are to scc if
therc's any way to rnakc it more flcxible. That's ihe intention and what rr c're looking lor
Mr. Bosi said rcquest would have to go to the Board ofCounry Conlmis-:oners, to ask
them to modify devclopmcnt standards to make it easier for a project to r',t fonvard scr
you can skip the public-hearing process. He's not sure how the Board oi ('ounry
Commissioners will feel aboul that prospect.
Chairman Hruby said rve could at lcast idcntifo problems.
Mn Giblin told the AHAC:
. He and Mikc Puchalla have had informal fact-finding nrcetings u irh about a half-
dozen proposcd dcvelopments. Of thosc, about a handful hare submitted a site
plan application. maybc nro or threc.
. They've had their pre-application meeting and gofien all the rcquilctnenLs
rcgurgitated to them. and nonc havc submined their firsl applicai ,rns.
o [t's likc trying to put a square house in a round commercial box
o They come in and say u'e need reliefon the parking requirement. .r setback or a
preserve. You can get that relief, but you ha\c to open up a publi: land-use action
and you negate rhe impact of the Live Local Act.
b. 2024 Workplan (J. Faron)
Vice Chair Faron rcported that:
. lt's the beginning of thc year and cverybody's getting geared up. so it's important
to discuss what we plan to do this year, paflicularly because we I J nleeling e\ cr)'
other month.
. we put something logether nearly a year ago and talked about Ih.' --\H.{C's
purpose. Is it exclusively to prove the extent ofdre stralegy repoir or are tllere
other lhings we can do?
. The outcome was a work plan thc subcommittee put together to dcfinc what wc
do at every mceting and in benveen meetings.
. She comes liom a background of']ou plan thc work, and you s ork d:e p!an"' so
she rr anted to discuss how we think the year rvill look. She does:'''t $'anl to creale
a burdcn, but it's important to direct what wc do.
o At the end ofthe year, panicularly with the Board ofCounry Conrmissioners. rve
l'1
January 16, 1024
can say here's what the AHAC is doing. here's what we've done and here's what
rve'r'e going ttr colle to you for.
Wc havcn't talkcd about this plan sincc Atlgust.
Ms. Wallcr askcd how that differs fionr thc inccnlive program wc already have' rvhat rvc
plan on doing.
Vice Chsir Faron responded:
. We categorized our rvotk into "review" and "reconllrrend" and had a couple of
categories, including what we'd support.
o We had a delined plan *'herc rve'd divvy up whrch Neighborhood Inlbrmation
Mcetings rve'd attcnd to support affordablc housing.
. Wc'd rcvicw projccts that wsre approvcd, open projects, and those that arc
opcratillg to see how rvell they rvorked.
o We had lo incor?orate sonre incelltive strategies. That's one ofthe defined iterns
in the rvorkplan bccause it's an AHAC requirement.
. The workplan funher develops thc rvork u'c do on the incentive strategies
Mr. Terhune asked il'thele rvas an exatltple of last year's rvorkplan'
Vice Chair Faron said it ivas in thc August agenda packct. Sarah handled il'
chairnran HrubY nolctl that Vice chair Faron chanrpioned that inlliative and a number
ol.things got don;. He's alrvays in taror of revie*,ing things. He asked ifshe'd like to
r...onriitr.,t" thc subcomrrittee and crcatc a work-plan to bring back to the AHAC'
vice chair Faron said she'd be happy t0 do that il'the contnlittee wants it. She doesn't
$,ant lo crcatc rr.ork. lrut with hcr background rvorking rvith companics. it holds them
accountablc.
Planning Comntissioner Shea agreed it was very hclplul and ofl'ered to be on the
subconrntittcc.
Yicc Chair Faron noled that John Harney (s'ho moved) rvas the chairman AHAC
can nre et in Fcbruary.
l\ls. \l'allcr r olunteered lo be on the subcommitlee'
Chairman Hrubl' said be anxious to sec a \\'orkpllln and asked ifit \rould be simplilied
and if sh.' cnuld remoVe anything they'\'e already addressedHe asked rfthey could do
that in Februaly antl bring it back to thc lirll AHA(' in N'larch'
,\ D.Io U R\
,lIs- ll'ullcr ntadc u nroliott to adjtturn thc ' ecti"g' Seund by llr' Tcrhune' The ntoliotr
prssel ununiuotrsll" I l-0,
10. \11X]' \lU!l'l'l\G D,\Tu
9 rr.nr. \larch 19, 202{
( onI'erencc Iioonr 609/610
(; ro\! th \lnnrgcnrent Conrnrunit\, Dt\,elopnlent Dcp:rrtnrent
9
t5
January 16.20?1
There being no further business for the good of the count5i, the meeting was
adjourned by the order of the chair at l0:19 a.m.
committee onThese minules
(check one) as
were approupd by the
presented_N1, or as amended
l6