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County has affordable housing plan

By BILL VARIAN
Published May 18, 2006

TAMPA - Hillsborough County commissioners approved the idea of hiring a top administrator to oversee efforts to build more homes and apartments for residents who are getting priced out of the market.

Commissioners on Wednesday also agreed to appoint a permanent advisory board to guide those efforts. In the meantime, the board gave its endorsement to holding a fall summit on affordable housing and to paying consultants to prepare more detailed strategies to bring at least 1,000 additional units deemed affordable or attainable on the market each year.

The unanimous 6-0 vote was a strong endorsement for the concept and a political victory for Commissioner Tom Scott, who has championed the cause. Commission Chairman Jim Norman was absent from the meeting.

"I say this from the bottom of my heart,'' Scott told commissioners while pitching the proposal Wednesday. "Affordable housing is not about Tom Scott. It's not about leaving a legacy. It's about the citizens of Hillsborough County.''

With housing prices booming in Hillsborough and across Florida, Scott sought the creation of an affordable housing task force. The group, including builder's representatives and leaders in efforts to build affordable housing, spent 16 months studying the issue and preparing general recommendations.

They include offering incentives for developers, recrafting land use rules to make it easier to develop reasonably priced homes and forging partnerships with the private sector. Scott described the draft report as more of an executive summary and said the group will now put meat to the proposals.

Commissioners previously set aside $1-million to be spent on the study effort through next year. The county estimates it can use that money to complete the effort, hold a summit of housing professionals and pay the first-year salary of the housing officer and an assistant through 2007, and still have $450,000 left.

Scott framed the issue largely in economic terms. He said the county will have a hard time encouraging new businesses to open in Hillsborough if employees can't afford to live here.

Board members largely praised Scott but also signaled points for future debate. Commissioner Ronda Storms said she wants to discuss reorganizing the county department that currently handles housing issues and said she will oppose plans to build high-density, low-income projects. Commissioner Brian Blair said he wants to hear ideas for helping people who are facing rising insurance costs stay in their homes.

"We need to realize that it's one thing to purchase a house,'' Blair said. "It's another thing to keep a house.''

[Last modified May 18, 2006, 08:06:02]