Broward Housing Council Regular Meeting – February 27, 2026

The Broward Housing Council (BHC) held its first regular meeting of 2026 on Friday, February 27, at 10:00 AM in Room 430 of the Broward County Government Center. Chair Christopher Krzemien called the meeting to order after a quorum was established. The council approved the November 7, 2025 meeting minutes, adopted the 2026 meeting schedule and work program (with amendments), and approved the 2025 Annual Report. The meeting featured updates from the Director of Urban Housing Planning, a report from the Continuum of Care Advisory Board representative, and extensive discussion on housing affordability, federal policy changes, and strategies to increase housing stock.

Consent Calendar

• None. The council considered the approval of the November 7, 2025 meeting minutes as a single item. A motion was made, seconded, and passed unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public spoke during the public comment period, which was opened and closed with no participants.

Discussion Items

• Chair's Report: Christopher Krzemien highlighted that housing affordability is a present-day reality in Broward County. He noted positive momentum: coordinated funding (federal HOME, CDBG, state SHIP, local sources), the Live Local Act driving projects, redirection of unused redevelopment funds toward affordable housing, and a broader planning lens connecting affordability to transportation and jobs. He emphasized the council's role in pushing for solutions and holding the system accountable.
• Director's Report: Darby Delsalle, AICP, provided updates on the Broward County Land Use Plan (BrowardNEXT) update, with a public hearing scheduled for April 23, 2026. He discussed fast-tracking changes to impact fees—proposing to remove transportation impact fees while maintaining concurrency to expedite development and reduce costs. He also reported on the Municipal Affordable Housing Scorecard initiative, noting that about eight cities have responded, and a GIS dashboard is being developed. Funding figures: approximately $7.1 million in CDBG (shared with 13 municipalities), nearly $4 million in HOME, $250,000 in ESG, and $2.5 million in SHIP state funds. He also mentioned an RFA for 36 single-family homes on a former medical examiner's office site in Fort Lauderdale.
• Commissioner Hazelle Rogers' Comments: The commissioner stressed that affordable housing efforts should not focus solely on apartment-style living; she advocated for homeownership opportunities and adequate parking in multifamily developments. She also questioned the number of foreclosures and the expiration of affordability restrictions on rental units.
• Affordability Expiration and Purchase Assistance: Ralph Stone noted that the county has extended affordability periods to 50 years (minimum) and that recent deals include bonus points for 99-year affordability. He also reported that a proposal to allocate $5 million from TIF funds for purchase assistance is being brought to the Commission, with $500,000 per district. The upcoming action plan will allocate about 45% of the $7 million toward purchase assistance.
• Continuum of Care Advisory Board Report: Teneshia Taylor reported that the COC is working on a NOFO, planning a second landlord recruitment event, and analyzing data on the at-risk population. She noted overlap between the COC and BHC populations and is working to quantify the number of people affected by recent rule changes.
• Concerns on Federal Policy Changes: Parnell Joyce (Broward County Housing Authority) raised three urgent issues: (1) the abrupt halt of the Emergency Housing Voucher program, leaving nearly 200 people at risk of homelessness; (2) a new HUD mixed-family rule requiring all household members to leave the unit if one member lacks proper citizenship documentation; and (3) rapidly rising rents in South Florida reducing the number of households the Housing Authority can serve. He called for "transitional resiliency" emergency gap financing. Commissioner Rogers and others discussed advocating with legislators and federal officials to restore these programs.
• New Business:
  • 2026 Meeting Dates: Approved with an amendment to change the December 11 meeting to December 4, 2026. The approved dates are: February 27, April 24, June 26, August 28, October 23, and December 4. The fall workshop date is to be determined.
  • 2026 Work Program: Approved as amended. The amendments included adding language to Section 4 (Advocate for Legislative Change) to advocate for refinancing and extension of expiring affordable units, and inviting major lenders and bankers to present on their CRA activities and financing plans. The work program also includes updates to the Affordable Housing Dashboard and Municipal Scorecard, support for the Live Local Act, and continued advocacy for full SHIP and SAIL funding.
  • 2025 Annual Report: Approved unanimously. The report summarizes BHC activities, including the October 2025 Affordable Housing Workshop, membership changes, policy shifts, and financing projects. Chair Krzemien commended staff for the report.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes Approved: The November 7, 2025 meeting minutes were approved unanimously.
• 2026 Meeting Dates Approved: The schedule was adopted with the December date moved to December 4.
• 2026 Work Program Approved: The program was adopted with two amendments: (1) adding advocacy for expiring affordability unit refinancing/extension, and (2) planning to invite lender presentations.
• 2025 Annual Report Approved: The report was accepted unanimously.
• Next Meeting: Scheduled for Friday, April 24, 2026, at 10:00 AM in Room 430.
• Committee to Follow Up: The council will work with the Banking/CRA community to schedule a presentation. The Continuum of Care representative will bring a more detailed data report to the next meeting. Beth Daly will provide a market report from the realtor perspective.