Incentives & Recommendations Report Availability and Public Hearing

Published on August 30, 2022

The City of Gainesville’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) is holding a public hearing to present its proposed Incentives and Recommendations Report (IRR), and to obtain the views and comments of residents concerning the proposed IRR. The public hearing is Tuesday, Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. in the Historic Thomas Center, Building B, Room 201 (306 NE Sixth Ave.).

The City Commission is tentatively scheduled to consider the IRR on Oct. 20, 2022.

The AHAC has proposed the following affordable housing incentives and recommendations:

1. Expedite processing of development orders and permits for affordable housing projects. Continue expediting review and inspection of affordable housing projects.
2. Modify impact fee requirements. The city does not require the payment of impact fees for new development.
3. Allow flexibility in densities for affordable housing. Revise the Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code to link any increase in maximum residential density and/or height limits to the provision of affordable housing.
4. Reserve infrastructure capacity for affordable housing. Continue to monitor current and projected infrastructure needs and capacity. Identify and utilize adequate funding sources to provide enough capacity to meet future housing needs.
5. Allow affordable accessory residential units (ARU) in residential zoning districts. Consider partnering with local organizations to develop a revolving loan fund to help property owners build ARUs that must be rented to income-eligible households at affordable rates.
6. Reduce parking and setback requirements for affordable housing. Continue current parking regulations requiring fewer parking spaces for affordable housing. Revise the Land Development Code to make reduced setbacks for planned development (PD) subdivisions available only if affordable housing is provided. Consider allowing reduced setbacks for non-PD subdivisions with affordable housing.
7. Allow flexible lot configurations including zero lot line configurations for affordable housing. Revise the Land Development Code to make the provision of affordable housing one of the justifications for modification of subdivision requirements.
8. Modify street requirements for affordable housing. Continue flexible guidelines for modifying street requirements for affordable housing.
9. Establish a process to consider the impact on the cost of housing before adoption of policies, procedures, ordinances, regulations or plan provisions. Continue review of local policies, ordinances, regulations and comprehensive plan provisions that affect the cost of housing.
10. Prepare a printed inventory of locally owned public lands suitable for affordable housing. Maintain and expand the inventory.
11. Support of affordable housing development near transportation hubs and major employment centers and mixed use developments. Continue to implement Comprehensive Plan policies supporting affordable housing development near transportation hubs and major employment centers and mixed-use developments.
12. Consider employer assisted housing programs. Consider reaching out to other large employers to share information about ways to build affordable housing; or to subsidize access to affordable housing for income-qualified employees.
13. Facilitate homeowner repair program. Consider asking neighborhood institutions like churches, community centers, and neighborhood associations for help in reaching potential home repair recipients.
14. Enhance community engagement and education. Continue to require, and study ways to improve, “pre-application neighborhood workshops.” Create a planning and development outreach program.
15. Study anti-displacement and anti-gentrification plans. Consider developing an anti-displacement/anti-gentrification plan that can be useful whenever and wherever development pressures threaten to displace existing residents.

The proposed IRR is available online. Hard copies are available to the public during regular business hours at the City of Gainesville Housing & Community Development Office (Thomas Center, building B, 306 NE Sixth Ave.) until 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 12.

Please send any comments about the IRR to John Wachtel, neighborhood planning coordinator, at wachteljs@gainesvillefl.gov.