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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

State of Housing Affordability in Broward County - October 26, 2026

Upcoming and Archived Meetings — Monday, October 26, 2026

BodyBroward County, Florida

SessionUpcoming and Archived Meetings

DateMonday, October 26, 2026

StatusNEW · FILED

Video Record

0:00 / 3:11:07

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:13

Good morning, everyone.

0:14

We are about to get started.

0:16

If everyone can please take their seats.

0:22

Group of adults can get quieter quicker than two kids.

0:24

Good to

Unassigned speaker

0:25

know.

Speaker 1

0:37

All right.

0:38

Good morning, everyone.

0:40

My name is Sandra Vassi Einhorn, and I am welcoming you to our morning, the state of housing affordability in Broward County.

0:49

I'd like to thank our partners, Broward County, Sue Carano, Keith Darby, Ralph Stone, the entire team.

0:57

Thank you for everything.

0:59

I'm going, I'm really honored to be able to turn it over to our first speaker for some welcoming remarks.

1:05

Please join me in welcoming Commissioner Hazel Rogers from the Board of County Commissioners District 9 and member of the Broward Housing Council.

Speaker 2

1:33

Good morning, everyone.

1:35

Well, I can tell you it's a good morning.

1:37

It feels good.

1:38

Got an opportunity to put on something comfortable to enjoy this cool weather that we're experiencing, right?

1:46

Oh, when we get it, we take it.

1:48

But it's good to see everyone here.

1:50

I'm scripted by staff.

1:52

And usually when they script me, they know I'm not going to read it that way because I am me.

1:58

And I'm here to just talk about housing and thank you first for all that you do every day when we are not there and we can't see or hear it.

2:08

But some of us do live it.

2:09

Maybe my staff have a hard copy.

2:13

Makes it a lot easier for me.

2:14

Thank you, sir.

2:16

All right.

2:17

I'm more comfortable.

2:19

I'm a paper girl.

2:21

Thank you for being here today at the Broward Performing Arts Center as we tackle one of the most critical issues facing our community.

2:30

Right now, as you talk about elections, you hear housing.

2:34

I should ask you that question.

2:36

One of the top

Speaker 3

2:38

topics

Speaker 2

2:39

of discussion is housing, right?

2:41

Did you get that from everyone?

2:43

That they're ready to truly deal with the housing issues that we're facing across this nation.

2:50

But Broward County in particular, because this is the place that have the sunshine, it has the beaches, it has that airport, seaport.

2:59

We are ready for everything.

3:01

Resource, every economy, everything.

3:04

We are prepared for it.

3:06

But most of all, we must prepare the housing.

3:09

You can't work here and not afford to live here.

3:12

Do you agree?

3:14

Thank you very much.

3:15

I know I'm talking to the right audience.

3:18

I want to extend a special thank you to our sponsors and partners who have made today possible.

3:24

The Broward Housing Council, the coordinating council of Broward, the Broward County Housing Finance Authority, and Wells Fargo.

3:35

I'm also sharing the stage this morning with Leo Toca from Wells Fargo, Philanthropy and Community Impact, and I want to thank him and his team for their incredible support.

3:47

Today is about moving from data to direct action.

3:52

As say today, also includes us looking at Broward County budget, how we have allocated funds to support the different housing issues, and to see whether or not it's current and relevant.

4:05

That's the discussion I would like to know that will be included in whatever we do today, because it must match fit the needs of the community right now as we plan for the future.

4:18

Can we agree on that?

4:21

Alright, I'm interactive this morning because I'm energized this morning because I'm frustrated sometime with the process.

4:31

And we understand there's limited funds, but there's a lot of knowledge here, and we can do it together.

4:39

And that's is the reason this audience this morning is so very, very important.

4:45

Every single person in this room plays a role in solving our housing challenges.

4:52

Whether you are a policymaker, a developer, an advocate, or a community partner, your voice and your collaboration are what drives us forward.

5:03

Don't let anyone else tell you differently.

5:06

You are uniquely made and built, and you should represent that uniqueness and be responsible, inclusive, and fair.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Affordable Housing█████████████████████████████████████████████60%

Housing And Urban Planning███████9%

Procedural███████9%

Economic Development█████6%

Public-Private Partnerships█████6%

Public Engagement███4%

Public Comment█1%

Transportation Safety█1%

Land Use Planning█1%

Summary of Proceedings

State of Housing Affordability in Broward County - October 26, 2026

The Broward Housing Council, along with partners including the Coordinating Council of Broward, Broward County Housing Finance Authority, and Wells Fargo, hosted a workshop on housing affordability. The event featured a data presentation by Dr. Ned Murray, panel discussions on public-private partnerships and future strategies, and closing remarks by Senator Nan Rich.

Discussion Items

Housing Needs Assessment Findings: Dr. Ned Murray presented the updated assessment, showing that over 340,000 households are cost-burdened (30%+ of income), with 175,000 severely cost-burdened (50%+). Median single-family home price is $620,000, average two-bedroom rent is $2,675/month. Only 7% of housing was built after 2010; 70% before 1990. Broward has lost 96,000 residents since 2020, mainly young adults.
Municipal Scorecard & GAP Program: Ralph Stone introduced a scorecard to track housing production across 31 cities. The GAP program, launched in 2018, has allocated $180 million in gap financing, produced 5,000 units with an average subsidy of $35,000 per unit (lowest in Florida). Funding comes from expired CRA/TIF revenues; projects now require 50–99 year affordability.
Public-Private Partnerships: Panelists (Mitch Rosenstein, Al Milo, Ralph Stone, Barbara Blake Boy, Walter Duke) stressed predictable processes, municipal contributions (totaling $67 million), and faster approvals. Examples included redeveloping motels and using city-owned land. Developers noted the importance of co-investment.
Live Local Act Impact: A second panel (Mayor Michelle Gomez, Chris Cooper, Tim Wheat, Suzanne Cabrera, Dr. Christine Kade) debated the Act. Supporters said it expands developable sites and provides tax exemptions; critics cited loss of local control, lack of public input, and infrastructure strain. Calls for tweaks to allow community engagement and mixed-income requirements.
Yes in God's Backyard (YIGBY) & Faith-Based Development: Discussion on using church land for housing. Need for pre-development resources and developer matches. Enterprise Community Partners highlighted ongoing projects in the region.
Regional Collaboration: Panelists urged a tri-county approach (Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach) to align transportation, economic development, and housing. The housing crisis is an economic competitiveness issue.
Workforce Housing & Mixed-Income Communities: Mixed-income models are ideal but financially challenging. Incentives needed; stigma should be avoided through integration.
University of Miami Community Scholars Program: Chelsea LaFrance presented a 6-month professional development program on affordable housing, with capstone projects leading to real policy changes (e.g., extending eviction notice from 15 to 30 days, increasing set-asides for very low-income).

Key Outcomes

Data Confirms Worsening Crisis: Assessment shows Broward ranks last in Florida for affordable rentals at 60% AMI (fewer than 25 units per 100 households). The county needs approximately 1,000 new affordable homes per year for 30 years.
GAP Program Sustained: Board recently allocated $27 million; HFA has 21 projects (4,000+ units) in pipeline. Program remains the primary driver of affordable housing development.
Municipal Engagement Growing: More cities are contributing gap financing; scorecard will increase accountability. Senator Rich urged local governments to protect dedicated housing funds and speed up approvals.
Live Local Act Adjustments Sought: Panelists and Senator Rich called for legislative changes to allow more local control, public input, and mixed-income requirements. The Act's density and height provisions remain contentious.
Amendment 3 Threat: Senator Rich warned that Amendment 3 (property tax cap) could divert up to $334 million in county revenue, endangering the GAP program's expired CRA funding source.
Call to Action: Senator Rich closed by emphasizing that housing impacts real lives; the county has tools and proof but needs continued political will and collaboration across sectors.

Meeting Transcript

Good morning, everyone. We are about to get started. If everyone can please take their seats. Group of adults can get quieter quicker than two kids. Good to know. All right. Good morning, everyone. My name is Sandra Vassi Einhorn, and I am welcoming you to our morning, the state of housing affordability in Broward County. I'd like to thank our partners, Broward County, Sue Carano, Keith Darby, Ralph Stone, the entire team. Thank you for everything. I'm going, I'm really honored to be able to turn it over to our first speaker for some welcoming remarks. Please join me in welcoming Commissioner Hazel Rogers from the Board of County Commissioners District 9 and member of the Broward Housing Council. Good morning, everyone. Well, I can tell you it's a good morning. It feels good. Got an opportunity to put on something comfortable to enjoy this cool weather that we're experiencing, right? Oh, when we get it, we take it. But it's good to see everyone here. I'm scripted by staff. And usually when they script me, they know I'm not going to read it that way because I am me. And I'm here to just talk about housing and thank you first for all that you do every day when we are not there and we can't see or hear it. But some of us do live it. Maybe my staff have a hard copy. Makes it a lot easier for me. Thank you, sir. All right. I'm more comfortable. I'm a paper girl. Thank you for being here today at the Broward Performing Arts Center as we tackle one of the most critical issues facing our community. Right now, as you talk about elections, you hear housing. I should ask you that question. One of the top topics of discussion is housing, right? Did you get that from everyone? That they're ready to truly deal with the housing issues that we're facing across this nation. But Broward County in particular, because this is the place that have the sunshine, it has the beaches, it has that airport, seaport. We are ready for everything. Resource, every economy, everything. We are prepared for it. But most of all, we must prepare the housing. You can't work here and not afford to live here. Do you agree? Thank you very much. I know I'm talking to the right audience. I want to extend a special thank you to our sponsors and partners who have made today possible. The Broward Housing Council, the coordinating council of Broward, the Broward County Housing Finance Authority, and Wells Fargo. I'm also sharing the stage this morning with Leo Toca from Wells Fargo, Philanthropy and Community Impact, and I want to thank him and his team for their incredible support. Today is about moving from data to direct action.

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