From David Volz
The Fort Lauderdale City Commission is concerned about the problem of affordable housing in the City. The Commission engaged in a presentation about a new proposal that would provide a financial incentive for those developing affordable and workforce housing. The City has previously adopted several incentives to encourage the private development of such housing, including allowing for additional height and density as well as the ability to develop mixed-use residential projects in certain areas. The new incentive would come in the form of monetary reimbursement based on a portion of the annual increase in the property’s ad valorem assessment. The Commission offered input about the overall policy, which was deemed an effort deserving of support, as well as items such as tenant income limitations and financial benefit thresholds. Staff will be recommending policy for the Commission to consider and adopt. “We continue to seek flexible approaches in developing affordable housing within our community. This is a goal of the Commission, and we cannot let our foot off the gas,” said Commissioner Steve Glassman.
The City Commission explored a proposal to urge the Florida Legislature to create opportunities to provide funding relief to condominium and co-op associations as well as economically vulnerable unit owners for inspections and for funding of reserve and emergency fund accounts that will be required for certain buildings in the coming years. The Florida Legislature now requires certain condos that are three stories or taller and more than 30 years old to conduct initial milestone inspections. In Broward County, the policy applies once a structure is 25 years old with inspections to be conducted every 10 years. The law requires a condo association’s budget to include reserve accounts for capital expenditures and deferred maintenance. The City Commission asked for staff to bring back a resolution that can be approved and shared with Florida Legislators. “There is a significant number of condominiums and co-ops in District 2. Many owners are facing hefty cost burdens due to regulations passed in Tallahassee including skyrocketing insurance premiums that have not been delt with adequately by the state. I encourage residents to contact state officials to explain the impact to this issue,” said Glassman.
The Commission received an update on the status of City Hall. The Commission continued to explore options for the City Hall building, which has been uninhabitable since the April 2023 flood and currently costs $35,000 per day to maintain. Recently, the Mayor’s Office, City Clerk’s Office, and Commission Offices for Districts 2, 3, and 4 relocated to 1 E. Broward Suite 444. However, the City continues to pursue long-term options for a future City Hall, as well as office space for staff displaced from the 101 Tower facility. After being presented with three options, the Commission directed staff to prepare a plan to abandon and demolish City Hall.
