SECTION G. HOUSING INTENT The
intent of the Housing Plan is to provide a broad framework for accommodating
all housing needs for all Lee County residents. These needs are expressed in terms of quality, affordability,
location and amenities. This section
serves two purposes 1) to characterize the housing needs of present and
future residents, 2) to promote housing policies that will lead to
affordable, safe housing options for all county residents over the next 20
years. The element builds upon public
input and comments received through county meetings and from the housing
subcommittee. MAJOR
ISSUES Listed below is a synopsis of
the major issues facing Lee County with respect to its housing needs. Finding
affordable housing for the elderly and minority populations is becoming more
of a challenge now. The federal
government and most lenders consider affordable owner-occupied housing as
housing that can be obtained for approximately 30 percent of monthly gross
income. The definition of affordable
rental units is similar, although the percentages vary in part because of the
tax benefits enjoyed by homeowners.
In the coming years, Lee County should encourage affordable housing
throughout through various means. There
is a greater demand now placed on the housing industry to provide low- to
moderate-income housing. Many
residents, unable to afford decent housing in the incorporated communities,
have moved to unincorporated areas where public health and safety issues
require additional costly infrastructure investments. Or they may move to existing residential
neighborhoods at densities the existing housing stock cannot accommodate. To
address these problems, county housing policies encourage regulatory
flexibility and the ability to provide for diversity in housing type, density
and location. This in turn allows the
real estate and development communities to better serve the changing needs of
the population. By allowing
regulatory flexibility, new innovative housing projects can address housing
and supportive infrastructure based on need. Special
needs residents such as the mentally and physically challenged, the homeless,
and the elderly require special consideration to meet their housing
needs. Because these populations have
needs that the fair market housing industry cannot adequately address, their
housing is often provided through a partnership of public/private/nonprofit
organizations. Little other support
is available to serve these residents.
A critical shortage of available, decent and affordable living units
makes it difficult for these persons and their families to maintain an
acceptable living standard. Limited
incentives for private market construction, a limited supply of affordable
land and high construction costs make it difficult for the private market to
provide affordable housing. The
housing policies meet this need by offering creative housing options. They include accessory unit construction,
second floor development for downtown buildings, single room occupancy,
clustering, infill development, manufactured housing and siting institutions
in areas where they were previously prohibited. Providing for people with special needs does not necessarily
mean more social services or infrastructure; it means greater regulatory
flexibility and offering incentives to provide affordable, accessible
housing. Lee County’s residential
neighborhoods vary in size, number of houses per acre, housing type, and
amenities. The character of a
neighborhood is closely associated with its design, the people who live
there, and the services provided.
Residents want to feel comfortable, safe, and that they “belong.” Over the next 20 years, preservation and
rehabilitation must acknowledge the nature of the residents, visual character
and services. The housing policies in
this Comprehensive Plan encourage new development in previously undeveloped
areas that fulfill visual and service character. Infill development should reflect a visual and service
character compatible with existing development. GOALS & ACTION
STRATEGIES GOAL H-1: Preserve
and improve existing housing structures in Lee County. Action Strategies 1.
Formulate a Housing Needs Assessment for
Lee County. The Housing Needs
Assessment will identify geographic areas of special concern and will give an
overview of the existing housing stock in the county. 2. Conduct
periodic countywide evaluations of older and lower cost areas to prioritize
the areas of the county which have above average concentrations of illegal
occupancies, excessive signs, debris, and inoperable or illegally parked or
stored personal property (e.g., boats, trailers, campers, automobiles). A specific nuisance ordinance should be
adopted. 3.
Evaluate a countywide building code and make this information
available to county residents. 4.
Identify the level at which traffic or the impacts of resulting from
traffic would be considered “excessive” in existing housing areas. The considered impacts should include, but
not limited to, noise, emissions, speed, and volume based. 5. Provide infrastructure and supporting
facilities and services where necessary to upgrade existing residential areas
and, where appropriate, to increase their development or redevelopment
potential. 6. Provide relocation assistance and/or other
protective measures, as may be appropriate, to residents of dwelling units
that are proposed to be demolished, converted to non-residential uses, or
converted from rental to ownerships. GOAL H-2:
Encourage a range of housing opportunities throughout the county that meet
the need of the county’s residents, including especially the county’s
“working poor” and special populations. Action
Strategies 1.
Permit and encourage a variety of housing
types and densities in individual subdivisions in a manner that ensures
compatibility and additional open space. 2.
Ensure that subdivision design with regard
to lot size, layout, street design, open space and undisturbed area is
compatible with the Comprehensive Plan. 3.
Encourage the development of future housing
with supporting infrastructure such as schools, parks or recreational areas,
emergency services, water and sewer services and utilities. 4.
Encourage housing that will not adversely
affect the environmental quality of Lee County, in accordance with the
Natural Environment Section. 5.
Encourage the construction of an adequate
supply of both rental housing and moderate cost multi-family housing. 6.
Support and encourage the construction of
senior citizen housing throughout the county. GOAL H-3: Promote
an increase in the supply of affordable housing. Action
Strategies 1.
Encourage the construction of “affordable”
housing in quantities sufficient to meet the need of residents of all income
ranges in Lee County. 2.
Explore alternative subdivision design,
including lot and street patterns and sizes, without increasing density as a
potential housing cost reduction method. 3.
Explore the concept of acquiring and
providing to builders of affordable housing, on a pre-approved basis,
residential building plans for a variety of affordable dwelling unit types. GOAL H-4: Prevent
concentrations and encourage geographic dispersion of affordable housing. Action
Strategies 1.
Promote the deinstitutionalization of
housing for the disabled and elderly by working with all incorporated
communities to permit small scale group homes for these special populations
in variety of residential areas. GOAL H-5:
Cooperate with Federal, State, and Local public and private agencies
to address housing needs in the county. Action
Strategies 1.
Maintain staff in appropriate agencies who
are knowledgeable in Federal, State, and Local and private programs which
address housing needs. In addition,
fund these agencies in a manner which enables them to disseminate information
to individuals most in need of, or able to provide, housing assistance. 2.
Take maximum advantage of Federal and State
funding for housing down-payment assistance, owner-rehabilitation, and other
housing programs to be used by low to middle income residents and communities
in the county. 3.
Use State and local funds primarily as a
catalyst for public/private housing partnerships.
Friday - November 21, 2008 - 03:34 pm CST
Affordable Housing
Minority Populations
Special Needs Residents
Preservation and
Rehabilitation
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