Affordable Housing for Developers

Designation Process

• Developer meets with Housing & Community Development Manager to review project and eligibility requirements.
• Developer completes Affordable/Workforce Housing application.
• Community Development Manager reviews application and determines eligibility.
• Affordable Housing Approval Letter provided to developer with Rapid Response Approval Letter and Certificate.
• Affordable Housing Scoping Meeting scheduled with developer/builder and Community Development Manager or Community Development Project Manager, and Building and Development Services (Planning and Plans Review).

Planning/Permitting Process

• Pre-application Meeting.
• Rezone (for density)/ Hearing with BOCC (4-6 months).
• FSP /Administrative (8-10 weeks).
• Land Use Restriction Agreement (LURA) executed prior to approval of FSP.
• For Homeownership Projects
  • Application for Final Plat (eight weeks)
  • Building Permit –concurrent with Final Plat (one week)
  • Construction of up to 10 units can commence with approved building permit pending Final Plat
  • Final Plat approval – Construction of full project
• For Rental Projects
  • Building Permit –concurrent with Final Site Plan (8-10 weeks)   

  Project Timeline For Livable Manatee Affordable Housing Development Projects.pdf/Community Development/04-2022 Rev.

Rent
Sales Price

Goals

1. Encourage affordable housing units within mixed-income developments, scattered sites and infill development.
2. Establish efficient process for customer service and ease of program administration.
3. Protect community’s investment in affordable housing.

Incentive

1. Manatee County will pay 100% of impact fees (including education fees) and Facility Investment Fees (FIF) on the designated affordable units only. Impact fees include Libraries, Public Safety, Law Enforcement, Parks and Natural Resources, Schools, Multi-modal Transportation, and the administrative surcharge. Facility Investment Fees includes potable water FIF and wastewater FIF.
2. Expedited review and permitting per Florida Statutes 420.9076

Process

1. Developer submits an application for designation as affordable prior to building permits.
2. Affordable housing designation request reviewed, approval letter with rapid response certificate issued and reservation of funding occurs.
3. Land Use Restriction Agreement (LURA) is recorded prior to Certificate of Occupancy (CO) and runs with property for 10 years.
4. Homebuyer is approved prior to CO.
5. County pays for impact fees and FIF at CO (administrative process).

Program Requirements

1. Unit must be for sale and includes fee simple properties, single family and townhomes.
2. Homebuyer must be at or below 120% of AMI.
3. Sales prices of the unit must not exceed established guidelines set in County’s Local Housing Assistance Plan (LHAP) and reviewed every three years.
4. Unit cannot exceed 1,700 square feet.
5. Program is available in unincorporated county.
6. Maximum of 33% of the units in a new subdivision over 18 units will be incentivized.
7. Maximum total incentive per mixed-income development is $500,000 (exceptions based on Board approval).

Goals

1. Encourage at least 25% affordable housing units within rental, mixed-income developments.
2. Establish efficient process for customer service and ease of program administration.
3. Protect community’s investment in affordable housing.

Incentive

1. Manatee County will pay 100% of impact fees (including education fees) and Facility Investment Fees (FIF) on the designated affordable units only. Impact fees include Libraries, Public Safety, Law Enforcement, Parks and Natural Resources, Schools, Multi-modal Transportation, and the administrative surcharge. Facility Investment Fees includes potable water FIF and wastewater FIF.
2. Expedited review and permitting per Florida Statutes 420.9076

Process

1. Developer submits an Affordable Housing Designation application prior to Site Plan application to REO.
2. Affordable housing designation request reviewed, approval letter with rapid response certificate issued and reservation of funding occurs subject to Developer having C.O. within two years.
3. LURA* is recorded prior to approval of Final Site Plan (FSP).
4. County pays for impact fees and FIF at CO per building (administrative process).
5. Developer’s Management Company submits tenant applications to REO for tenant approval at time of lease up with supportive documentation for income eligibility determination and
   approval of tenant in accordance to terms of LURA.
6. Once lease up is complete as specified in LURA, County monitors project annually for term of LURA*

*Note: If other incentives apply, most restrictive term for LURA takes precedence.

Program Requirements

1. Rents do not exceed Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC) maximums per bedroom count
   and income for household size.
2. Mix of low and moderate-income units are encouraged. However, no more than 50% of the affordable set-aside units can serve between 81-120% AMI. Remainder of affordable units should serve 80% AMI and below.
3. Projects in the Urban Service Area boundary or within ¼ mile of Manatee Area County Transit (MCAT) bus route in unincorporated Manatee County.
4. New construction preferred; residential conversions allowed.
5. Maximum of 50% of the units in a project will be incentivized.
6. Maximum total incentive per project is $500,000 (exceptions based on Board approval).
7. Land Use Restriction Agreement (LURA) required. Projects receiving an incentive up to $100,000, LURA is for 15 years. For projects receiving between $100,001 and $300,000 in incentives, LURA is for 20 years. For projects greater than $300,001, LURA is for 25 years.

2020 RFA Application Instructions

2020 RFA Application

2020 RFA LGAO Selection Matrix

On June 8, 2021, the Board of County Commissioners adopted Resolution R-21-089 approving the Inventory List of County land for use as affordable housing within the jurisdiction of Manatee County. As sites become available, they will be added to the inventory.

Currently, the County is developing a process to consider requests from For-profit and Non-profit Developers who would be interested in developing affordable housing on these sites for rental or homeownership units. Once the process has been finalized, it will be posted to this website.

View the resolution here

View more information on Surplus Property here