Interoffice Memorandum
DATE: July 20, 2024
TO: Mayor Jerry L. Demings and County Commissioners
THROUGH: N/A
FROM: Tanya Wilson, AICP, Director, Planning, Environmental, and Development Services Department
CONTACT: Mitchell Glasser, Manager
PHONE: 407-836-5190
DIVISION: Housing and Community Development Division
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Approval to award surplus county properties appropriate for affordable housing development to non-profit organizations. Districts 2, 3, 5, and 6. (Housing and Community Development Division)
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PROJECT: Award Non-Profit Organizations the Surplus County Properties Appropriate for Affordable Housing Development
PURPOSE: Since 2006, Section 125.379, Florida Statutes has required that each county prepare an inventory list every three years of all real property within their jurisdiction, to which the County holds fee simple title, that is appropriate for use as affordable housing. Orange County’s most recent Properties Inventory List was adopted on October 24, 2023, by Resolution No. 2023-M-49. The Statute provides five ways in which the County may dispose of these properties, including the donation of the properties to non-profit housing organizations for the construction of permanent affordable housing.
On March 5, 2024, a Request for Applications was issued, and applications were accepted through April 9, 2024. A committee comprised of staff from the Housing and Community Development Division (HCD) and the Planning Division reviewed the applications using criteria to evaluate organizational capacity and experience, proposed project scope, target population, project financing and timeline, and project sustainability features. A total of four non-profit organizations are recommended to receive 12 of the county-owned properties. HCD staff presented the recommendations to the Affordable Housing Advisory Board on June 12, 2024, and the Affordable Housing Advisory Board supported the award.
The selected non-profit organizations support the 2019 Housing for All Action Plan goals to create new affordable housing units for the County’s housing stock. The non-profit organizations will be responsible for performing all duties and activities associated with developing the properties and constructing housing units to be sold to qualified low to moderate-income homebuyers. A total of 13 (primarily single-family detached) affordable housing units are expected to be developed on these donated properties. The non-profit organizations will encourage all eligible homebuyers to apply for Orange County’s Down Payment Assistance program.
A list of the lots being recommended for donation and respective non-profit organizations is attached. The next step in the process will be to negotiate agreements with the selected non-profit organizations, which will include the terms and conditions for transferring and developing the lots for owner-occupied affordable housing units. Such agreements will be subject to approval by the Board.
BUDGET: N/A