Accessory dwelling units to be discussed as possible housing incentive
Affordable Housing Advisory Committee to meet Thursday
Accessory dwelling units are among the incentive recommendations from the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, which will meet Thursday.
The Affordable Housing Advisory Committee is required to meet annually provide recommendations for incentives.
There are eight incentive strategies adopted through the 2024 Local Housing Assistance Plan.
There are currently 11 recommendations, some of which are mandatory.
Councilmember Jennifer Nelson-Lastra, the council liaison to the committee, said she is passionate about the incentive — accessory dwelling units. She said they are talking about an additional dwelling unit on someone’s property to offer another option for housing.
The incentive is for the “allowance of affordable accessory residential units in residential zones.”
According to the Affordable Housing Advisory Commission agenda material, the city currently permits guests/staff quarters in one zoning designation – residential estate, which is a parcel of at least 40,000 square feet.
In 2018, when Nelson-Lastra was on the Council previously, she said they did not approve accessory dwelling units. Now, looking back, she wishes she voted for the units.
“Almost nine years later, we still have problems with housing that is affordable to our first responders, to our teachers and that concerns me. With the aging population, a lot of us have elderly parents that we don’t want to put into assisted living or a facility,” she said, adding they want to keep their parents with them.
In July 2024, she said Council directed staff not to move forward with the accessory dwelling units.
“I think we have a real opportunity to offer another type of housing, an actual outside unit on the property,” Nelson-Lastra said. “To have that generational flexibility with housing options for me makes sense.”
Having flexibility with an accessory dwelling units is important as the population ages, she added.
That incentive will be brought before council, where she hopes they will have an appetite to entertain it again.
“Our state legislature has encouraged our local government to adopt ordinances for this that allows single-family residential use,” Nelson-Lastra said. “To me it is a great option as another affordable option for our elderly to be taken care of by their kids. To have that, I think, it was important in our city.”
The unit, which defined by Florida Statutes, states that an accessory dwelling unit, is an “ancillary or secondary living unit that has a separate kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping area existing either within the same structure, or on the same lot, as the primary dwelling unit.” These units are also called ancillary units, carriage houses, “granny flats” and garage apartments.
The meeting will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, in Council Chambers, 1015 Cultural Park Blvd. The meeting is open to the public.
To reach MEGHAN BRADBURY, please email news@breezenewspapers.com