AHAC Minutes 07/16/2024Growth Management Community Development Department
Conference Rooms 609/610
2800 N. Horseshoe Dr., Naples,FL 34104
Steve Hruby, Chair
Jennifer Faron, Vice Chair
Mary Waller, Member
Gary Hains, Member (absent)
Hannah Roberts, Member
Andrew Terhune, Member (excused)
July 16,2024 - 9:00 a.m.
AHAC MEMBERS
Commissioner Chris Hall, BCC Liaison
Arol Buntzman, Member (excused)
Toddy Lyon, Member (excused)
Paul Shea, Member
Thomas Felke, Member
Bob Mulhere, DSAC Liaison (non-voting member)
COLLIER COUNTY STAFF
Jamie French, Department Head, GMCD
Michael Bosi, Director, Planning & Zoning
Jaime Cook, Director, Development Review
Cormac Giblin, Director, Housing Policy & Economic Development
Sarah Harrington, Planning Manager, Housing Policy & Economic Development
Derek D. Perry, Assistant County Attorney, County Attorney's Office
Donna Guitard, Management Analyst l, GMCD
Priscilla Doria, Ops Support Specialist II, Housing Policy & Economic Development
CALL TO ORDER & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Vice Chair Faron called the meeting to order at 9:00am and led the Pledge of Allegiance.
ROLL CALL OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS AIID STAFF
Roll call was taken and a quorum established.
AGENDA
a. Approval of Today's Agenda. Motion to approve agenda passed.
b. Approvalof May 2l,2024,AHAC Meeting Minutes.
Motion moved to approve the minutes of the N{ay 2l,2024,meeting as presented.
1.
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MINUTES OF THE COLLIER COUNTY
AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADYISORY COMMITTEE
4. PRESENTATIONS
A. Coastal Resiliency & Flood Management.
Presented by Mr. Chris Mason, Director Community Planning and Resiliency
Division.
o This department functions somewhere in between the building department and the
planning department and works in both fields.
o Community planning looks at our neighborhoods and zoning initiatives.
o Resiliency is looking at potential engineering and working programs with the Federal
Govemment and State Govemment.
o The division is comprised of 8 full time employees, Planners, Planning Manager,
Resiliency Engineering Manager, and Floodplain Coordinator.
o The Floodplain Coordinator works between our division and the Building Department.
o We work with FEMA programs including the Community Rating System and the
Emergency Management as well.
o We mobilize and deploy people into the community for damage assessment after a natural
event which is instrumental in receiving Federal and State assistance in declarations of
disaster.
Commissioner Chris Hall. ..can you explain Resiliency from the County's perspective?
Mr. Mason...it functions to protect our environment, lives, property and local economy.
The Division was created in October of 2022 and has just become fully staffed at the
beginning of this month.
o Some initiatives on the Community Planning side Planning studies Golden Gate master
plan AUIR annual update and inventory report that Mr. Bosi now handles but we will be
taking it over next year.
o We are committed to transfer development rights, also updating and maintaining the
Growth Management Plan and Community Rating System which is also being handled
by Mr. Bosi's team.
o Community Rating System is a FEMA program for flood discount insurance plans, and
we are at a 25%o discount now which is called class 5.
o Regarding Resiliency, we just had a new coastal flood insurance rate map set become
effective February 8th ofthis year. The 83 new maps encapsulated the coastal fiinge of
our community.
o There are 2 mapping products; coastal and a riverine. The Riverine which is the interior
of the county will be mapped in 2026 and rolled out in 2027 . In the meantime, we are
starting talks with FEMA and working on a vulnerability assessment with the FDEP
Resilient Florida Grants Community Rating System and were approved for repetitive
loss area analysis. Mostly for local drainage problem areas within the County that have
repetitive flood claims.
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. We are the staff liaisons to the Army Corps Coastal Storm Risk Management
feasibility study
o For Emergency Management we handle damage assessment and temporary housing.
o I am the Managing Director for the Emergency Operations Center for Collier
County. The EOC is "essential function" for 3 public works.
o The GIS, Geographic Information System compiles damage assessment
statistics so we can report to State and Federal Agencies.
Mr. Shea...you interact with the Floodplain Management Committee. It seems like there's a lot
ofoverlap.
Mr. Mason...yes you are correct, there is a lot of overlap.
Ms. Faron ...It was on the news recently that Lee County had a downgrade in their class
system. I'm curious about Collier County's ability to maintain its class 5 level that you talked
about versus where they find themselves?
Mr. Mason...as of Friday, they were supposed to make a decision but I do not believe a decision
has come out and that's very typical of FEMA scheduling something out and then not coming up
with a date they said they would give an answer...I believe Lee county and these other
municipalities, they are overwhelmed and what lead to the down gading of their ratings was un
permitted work for repair.
B. Update on Casa San Juan Diego
Presented by John Raymond & Alex Malhas, National Development Casa San Juan Diego
ISlide Presentation]
Mr.Raymond
The Florida Housing Financing and our Tax- Exempt bonds are secured and we are moving
through the financing process to close very soon.
Alex Malhas noted the following:
o I just joined National Development earlier this year. Projects located in Immokalee total
80 units, 40, 3 bedroom, 2 bath and 40,2 bedroom, 2 bath. We are still looking at the Q1,
2025 for closing.
o We just submitted our SDP application with Collier County and the ERP with the Water
Management District. we hope to submit our building permit with collier county later
this month.
o Collier County just initiated their environmental review of the project, and we are
working with Intertech on part 58 that's needed as well.
o We've completed phase 1 without issues and Geotech is also completed without issues.
We are kicking offof underwriting with our leaders later this month. We are also working
on the Affordable Housing Density Bonus Agreement with the county and we have
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completed a survey for the site as well.
o The AMI breakdown is 8 units in the 28o/o AML4,2 bedroom, 4, 3 bedroom and
72 units for the 60% AMl,36,2bed36,3 bedroom.
r Site renderings and site plan presented in power point.
r Community benefits are being offered through the Diocese ofVenice and Catholic Charities.
C. Update on Kai Casa Housing Development
Presented by Michael Solorzano, Habitat for Humanity, Director of Construction
ISlide Presentation]
Mr. Solorzano noted the following:
o 300 new units of Affordable Housing to Immokalee, with low-cost amenities.
o Under construction and a few units have closed already.
o Challenges with development include lengthy permit review times, restrictive local
development standards, high mitigation costs, and development impact fees.
o Collier County's expedited review process has been very helpful but unfortunately, other
agencies do not have such a helpful process, like the Army Corps in southwest Florida
Water Management District. It would be helpful to get some relief help with that.
. Sidewalk requirement ofthe project, with approx. l0 miles of sidewalk going in and out of
both side ofthe street, can be a costly endeavor and would like to get some relief in that area
in future.
. Sidewalk standards and deviations reliefwill be helpful.
. The general project area is about 65 acres with 40 acres of infrastructure and started a year
ago.
o Costly endeavor for panther mitigation which required 60 acres of habitat to be cleared out
of 100 acre lot.
o Developer's Impact Fee Deferral
o Currently, a developer gets 50 impact deferral fees that they can use to apply to
homes.
o Habitat relies a lot on these deferral fees to keep the homes affordable.
o A problem occurs when the fee is transfened from developer to a homeowner, which
ties up the fees until fully transfened. This process can take up to a month or two.
Habitat proposes increasing the number ofdeveloper fees given from 50-100.
. Another challenge, growing cost of the gap of affordability, increasing of SHIP funds per
unit.
. A typical famity making $35,000 per year (family of 4 with two wage eamers) would equate
to 30% which is $875.00 per month for 38 years less the down payment, our mortgage, the
ship and impact deferral fees which total $190,000. Subtract it and that's the gap. Habitat is
absorbing the gap and I think increasing the ship amount per unit would be a good way to
go.
o Kai Casa, Phase l, construction of 123 units is underway and 30 units have been sold and
occupied for next fiscal year 2025. We started planning on closing on another 20 units.
Comprised of3 and 4 bedroom units and recreational turffield.
. Things to be done to assist Habitat's mission:
o Increase the number of impact deferral fees per developer from 50- 100
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o Increase SHIP funds to $100,000 per unit
o Advocate with other agencies to adopt a similar expedited review process for
permitting
Vice Chair Faron...in the example of the sales price of a home of $306,000. How much of that is
your direct cost?
Mr, Solorzano...it's mostly direct cost.
Vice Chair Faron...so is there any, soft cost, construction cost, and do you know what percentage
of that is the actual construction cost?
Mr. Solorzano...the construction of the unit is about $190,000, a lifile bit more, and then we have
the development ofthe lot which is about $ 100,000.-$ 1 10,000.
Don Luciano, Assistant Director for Community and Human Services
The Board recommends our affordable housing action plan which we take to Florida Housing for
final approval. Florida Housing does not give us any recommendations, we take them to them.
Next Tuesday the 23'd we are taking an update to the Board. Our direct assistance to individuals
who are not tied to Habitat for down payment assistance. Our moderate-income families were
getting 20,000, low income, 30,000, and very low, 50,000. Staffis recommending that we increase
each by 25,000 to go to 45,000, 55,000, and 75,000.
Vice Chair Faron...Lisa spoke to us about multiple layers of mortgages that Habitat is using for
this GAP. So when you say the worst case scenario is $l16,000 out of pocket to cover the GAP,
you are still layering those other levels of funding which would come back to you at a longer
range if the homeowner sells.
Mr. Solorzano...Yes, that is one ofthe ways that we absorb it through those other loans, the third
would be forgivable. Payments associated with these loansjust sits there until they sell the house.
Cormac Giblin.. .what is the house at in KiaCasa?
Mr. Solorzano ... I think it's closer to $300,000, was the last one that we closed.
Cormac Giblin.. .so you're selling at appraised value?
Mr. Solorzano ... pretty much yeah. Some ofthe earlier ones were cheaper but as you go on and do
more the prices fluctuate with the community build out and what we spend up to that point.
Ms. Harrington ...the current price for Habitat that I've seen is at 99o% ofthe retail market value so
it is only discounted by that l% compared to the market value.
Mr. Soloruano...sounds about right.
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6.
Public Comment
Jessica Turner, Partnership Manager, Southwest Florida Home Coalition.
Later on today, Sarah is presenting to you guys some work that we've done, a Regional Housing
Study which was commissioned with the Florida Housing Coalition. I'll be meeting with Cody
Glaser on Thursday, and he's going to speak with me about a plan to reach out to AHAC
members throughout the region. So after I get that information, I'll reach out to Sarah to let her
know. As of last Friday, in addition to the two reports that were submitted to you, we were also
given reports three and four, which are out of six total reports. The third is a barrier report, and
that has information from surveys that were sent out to government officials, developers, and to
continuums of. The fourth is examining three different things.
First is different funding, different funding streams, the land use and zoning in different
municipalities, and then also how municipalities are dispersing of surplus lands. I have to tell
you that in the fourth report, Collier County was highlighted multiple times for best practices.
So I wanted to say congratulations on that and very good work. I want to remind you that this
report is a report that is being done from a regional lens. In our partnership health report, which
was completed recently in a survey of over 100 partners with the Southwest Florida Home
Coalition, one of the biggest things that was emphasized was that partners really like the
regional, the regional look that we are taking on the housing situation in southwest Florida and
their desire to collaborate more across regional lines, which I think is really exciting. It's a great
way to look at best practices in places like Collier County and try to apply them to other
localities in the area. This is just one ofthe projects that the Southwest Florida Home Coalition
is doing. We are also working on projects such as eviction prevention. We're working on
increasing the utilization of housing choice vouchers. We are trying to start a housing equity
fund, just like you guys have started down here in Collier. Again, a best practice. And we
actually have recently hired a regional housing services coordinator. We are going to be
mapping out the housing system on a housing stability spectrum, which has a range of choices
and levels ofcontrol for people. And it goes from people who are experiencing homelessness all
the way to people who are stably housed and housed by choice. We want to find gaps in
services barriers for people to move up that spectrum. We also want to find supports that will
keep people from going back through the cycle of crisis over and over. So I will communicate
that plan for how the coalition is going to be reaching out to you guys. I know that it's a lot to
read. I am thankful for you guys taking the time, and ifthere's anything I can ever do to support
you, please let me know. Thank you for your time.
Discussion Items
A. 2024 SHIP Incentives Report
Ms. Harrington...this document is the incorporation of the 2023 SHIP Housing Incentives
Report along with the AHAC workplan and action plan combined together...we can go through
section by section and ifthere's any issues that need to be addressed then we're going to have that
conversation. The first section is standard. It provides the information as required by the Florida
Housing Coalition. Recommendation number one, approved through the Collier County
Community housing plan. And then it lists the four incentives.
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Ms. Harrington.. .This is summarizing what took place in 2024 and what we would be
working towards in 2025.
The following recommendations and housing incentives were reviewed and discussed with
committee members:
o Recommendation l: Complete the Implementation and Adoption for four (4)
Regulatory Relief lnitiative previously approved through the Collier County
Community Housing Plan.
o Recommendation 2: AHAC recommends the creation of a transparent publicly
accessible database with a corresponding GIS map to identifu, locate, and provide data
and long-term monitoring results for all housing that is affordable in Collier County
o Recommendation 3: AHAC should take a greater role in advocacy efforts to review,
recommend, and promote affordable housing issues and developments.
o Recommendation 4: AHAC recommends staff identify challenges and opportunities
presented through the State's recent adoption ofthe Live Local Act (LLA)
o Recommendation 5: Use of Collier County Surtax Funding for Affordable Housing
Land Acquisition, including the development and use of evaluation criteria for
reviewing parcels and proposed developments
. Expedited Permitting
o Allowable Fee Waivers
. Flexible Densities
o Reservation of Infrastructure Capacity
o Parking and Setback Requirements
o Affordable Accessory Dwelling Units
o Flexible Lot Configurations
. Modification of street requirements
o Process of Ongoing review
o Public Land Inventory
r Support ofdevelopment near transportation hubs
Stalf obtained committee comments and recommended changes. A motion was made to
accept the 2024 SHIP Incenlive Strategies Report with the modifications requested by the
committee. Sarah Harrington to incorporale changes andfinalize the 2024 SHIP Incentive
Strutegies Report,
Vice Chafu Faron agreed to rcview the Jinal version to ensure lhe changes accuralely reflect
the committees' rcquested changes.
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7,4- Regional Housing Studies
Ms. Harrington ...Thank you to the Collaboratory for providing this. These are the two most
recent reports from the regional housing study completed by the Collaboratory with the help
from the Florida Housing Coalition. This is very interesting information. It paints a picture about
the housing situation. The first report is about the people. The second report is about housing in
the context of affordability.
And the next phase is going to be stakeholder feedback. So please be prepared by reviewing this
and then providing feedback for the next phase. And we'll keep in contact about when the next
phase is. So at this moment, we don't need anything from the AHAC. This is just being provided
for review and early digestion.
Chairman Hruby.. .so they'd like our feedback?
Ms. Harrington...yes.
Chairman Hruby.. .what's the timeline on that?
Ms. Harrington...we'll have a better idea to provide you, after the Collaboratory has their
meeting with Florida Housing Coalition on Thursday.
7.8 DSAC Update
7. C Upcoming Public Meetings.
Mr. Cormac Gibln
Four updates to give you.
o The first one is a development called Elanto. It's 3 l0 total proposed units, of which 10%
of them will be at 50%o AMI. They're doing an affordable housing density bonus
agreement. So 31 very low income affordable units. They are scheduled to go to the
planning commission on July 18, going to the board on September lOth.
o The next one is a development called Mattson at Vanderbilt. It's off Vanderbilt Beach
Road. They are proposing 150 units, of which l5% would be at 80% AMI, an additional
15o/o at l00Yo AMI, making a grand total of 45 total affordable units. This actually
already went to the planning commission in December. It was approved or
recommended for approval, six to zero. They are now on the board's agenda for
September 24 BCC meeting.
. The next one, likewise, is a development called JLM Living East, proposing a total of
305 units again, l5Yo at 80% AMI, another l5%o at 100%o AMI for a grand total of 9l
affordable units. They were already approved by the CCPC at the January 4th meeting
with a recommendation approval seven to zero. And they are on the board of County
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7.D
Commissioners September 24th meeting agenda as well.
The last one is one is the Fiddler's Creek section 29 rezone proposing an
additional 750 units, of which l5% will be at 80% of AMI, 15oh at 100%, AMI
for a grand total of225 affordable units. This will be reconvening for its third day
ofplanning commission testimony on July l8th, which is this Thursday, and they
are scheduled to go to the board.
If the planning commission can wrap it up, they will go to the board on October
8th. Again, all of those dates are tentative based on scheduling, but that's what it
looks like so far. So you have a grand total ofclose to maybe 400 affordable units
scheduled to be heard over the next couple months.
Membership Terms Expiring in 2024
Mr. Giblin...Mr. Butzman, Mr. Haynes, and Mr. Felke's terms expire on October
l, 2024. If you're interested in reapplying, I would encourage you to do so through
the County attomey's office when the applications ofvacancies are made available.
NEW BUSINESS
Mr. Giblin -noted that AHAC incentive strategies training was just recently announced by the
Florida Housing Coalition to be held on July 25th. Webinar to occur at 2:00pm.-3:30p.m. It may
be pertinent to the ongoing discussions that you're in right now with your incentive strategy
report. We can email that notice out to the membership.
Mr. Bosi- clarified that the impact fee discussion with the Board of County Commissioners
related to water and sewer has been moved to August l3th, not July 23.
Ms. Waller- expressed concems with the increase of impact fee and believes the AHAC
committee should put forward their input and concems on that matter.
Mr. Shea- believes AHAC can campion for more discounts or more focus on affordable
housing but does not believe the AHAC has the knowledge to say what is too much and what
the County feels is too much on impact fees.
Mr. Bosi...one of the things I suggested to the utility folks was to give a, since 2017 was the
last time the impact fees was updated, in that period of time, they didn't give the context, what
was the overall construction cost increase overall because you need to understand that in
relationship to the impact fee increase because I'd be pretty close to say this would be 100%
increase in new construction cost over those 7 year period. So, with that relationship, you look
at that 80% increase, then your actually a discounted cost ofwhat it's actually costing because
remember for every impact fee that is not paid, that is the general tax payer having to pick up
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the fund for that because the concept of the impact fees are the new users are charged for the
incremental expansion ofthe infrastructure systems based upon the additional demand upon it.
It's a user's tax so to speak. It's been deemed to be appropriated fair. If you discount those
impact fees, you do place a bigger burden upon your existing tax base to make up that
deficiency so those are some of the things you need to weigh but I do agree that not only
phasing can be appropriate but also, it's always a continuation of, how to impact fees and
affordable housing square themselves away. I think there has to be more conversation with the
Board of County Commissioners to say, related to affordable housing, let's see what can we
do for impact fees in a way that's unique to that commodity that is the affordable housing
programs. All those things are things are things that need to be considered as part ofwhatever
recommendation that you are going to provide.
Chairman Hruby... why aren't we doing this every year, every two years, and keep up with
the trends?
Mr. Bosi... the legislation is very restrictive in terms, they've been taking bits of the impact
fees from the local state, restricted us in terms of what assets we can include within our
impact fees, they've been very targeted to limit the utilization of impact fees, they haven't
gone off to the point where they've eliminated that potential use but each legislative session or
every couple legislative sessions they've been more restrictive in terms of how much we can
charge and then what we can charge those rates against so they've really kind oftried to reign
in the localities use of impact fees because some ofthe offsets that are associated with it.
fDiscussions between commitlee members and Mr. Bosi continuedJ
Vice Chair Faron...I would be in favor of a letter of support to the BCC that recommends a
phasing in of the iees. I think that's probably the extent to which we can really do anything. I
think that, as Mary points out so eloquently, the numbers are the numbers, if you assume the
numbers are right...I think the phasing in idea is a good one and I would be in support ofsigning
our name to that letter on the topic only.
[Discussions by commitlee members, Mr, Bosi, and Mr- Perry continued]
Chairman Hruby...commented that Cormac Giblin will be on a panel discussion that I'm
conducting on Thursday on live local for the American Institute of Architects in Palm beach.
He's going to sit with a planner, another architect, a developer, and he's going to represent the
govemment on this panel.
Chairman Hruby....anything else? Do I hear a motion to adjoum? All in favor.
9. ADJOURN
Meeting adjourned l1:13 a.m.
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These minutes were approved by the committe acn*^ non ll / t7 lz4
(choose one) as presented Y , or as amended
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July 16,2024 AHAC Meeting Minutes