Clearwater NAHAB Meeting: Live Local Act Opt-Out & CAPER, Nov 18, 2025
Clearwater NAHAB Special Meeting Summary – November 18, 2025
The Neighborhood and Affordable Housing Advisory Board (NAHAB) held a special meeting on November 18, 2025, at Clearwater Main Library Council Chambers. The board approved the October 14, 2025, meeting minutes, recommended opting out of the 80%-120% AMI Missing Middle Property Tax Exemption for 2026, and recommended City Council approval of the FY 2024-2025 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER).
Consent Calendar
- Approved the minutes from the October 14, 2025, NAHAB meeting.
Discussion Items
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Resolution 25-14 (Opt-Out of Live Local Act Exemption): Staff recommended opting out of the 80%-120% AMI Missing Middle Property Tax Exemption for calendar year 2026. Housing Manager Dylan Mayu explained that the most recent Shimberg Center report identified a surplus of 2,738 affordable and available rental units in the Tampa-St. Pete-Clearwater MSA for households at 80%-120% of Area Median Income (AMI). He stated the exemption would not incentivize new construction but primarily benefit existing property owners, adding that the city opted out of the same exemption for 2025. Board members clarified the exemption applies only between 80%-120% AMI; units under 80% AMI remain automatically exempt and cannot be opted out. No developers had expressed a need for the exemption.
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FY 2024-2025 CAPER: Housing Manager Dylan Mayu presented the CAPER, summarizing the use of federal funds (CDBG, HOME, and CDBG-CV) during fiscal year 24-25. He noted programs were paused for about three months due to hurricane recovery but reopened by January 1, 2025. Key accomplishments included: assisting 253 persons with housing services (combined SHIP, HOME, CDBG); constructing one rental unit; rehabbing one rental unit; constructing two homeowner units (goal seven); rehabbing 13 homeowner units; providing 18 down payment assistance loans; assisting 42 households with tenant-based rental assistance (goal 60); and funding homeownership counseling for 176 households. Public services and facilities expenditures totaled $1,043,672. The city provided $80,000 for technical assistance to micro businesses via Prospera and Upwards. HOME funds: $4,897,672 budgeted, $377,610 expended, with about $700,000 remaining and seven to eight projects in pre-development. SHIP funds: $1,898,317 available, $1,169,975 expended. Homeless services assisted 2,056 people using CDBG funds. No monitoring findings were reported. The report will undergo a 15-day public comment period before City Council approval on December 4, 2025, and final HUD submission by December 31, 2025.
Key Outcomes
- Resolution 25-14 (Opt-Out): The board voted unanimously to recommend City Council approve opting out of the 80%-120% AMI Missing Middle Property Tax Exemption for calendar year 2026. (Approximately 9:15-9:20 AM)
- FY 2024-2025 CAPER: The board voted unanimously to recommend City Council approve the CAPER for submission to HUD. (Approximately 10:00 AM)
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public spoke on items not on the agenda or on the agenda items.
- No e-comments were received on either item.
Board Members to be Heard
- Board members thanked staff for their work and expressed appreciation for the accomplishments detailed in the CAPER. The meeting adjourned with a note of gratitude for the upcoming holiday.
The next NAHAB meeting is scheduled for December 9, 2025, at 9:00 AM in Council Chambers.
Meeting Transcript
Uh uh. Yeah, sorry for an extra, but I did put one up there. Somebody steal my script. Yeah. Yeah, that's it. Okay. Look like minutes, didn't it? Okay. Sorry. Good morning. Today's meeting of the neighborhood and affordable housing advisory board is called to order on November 18th, 2025. Welcome everyone. Uh following adjournment of this meeting, I will call to order the meeting of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. Agendas of excuse me, agendas of today's meeting are on the wall at the entrance to the chambers. Please remember to turn off your cell phones. To ensure a complete record of the board's actions, we ask that each individual wishing to speak, clearly state your name and spell your last name for the clerk. Linda Byers, City Resident. Good morning, Sharissa Doughty of Affordable Housing. Good morning, Frank Cornier. Um construction. Christine Bonn, advocate for low income individuals. And I am the board chair, Robin Field. I represent the lending industry as it relates to affordable housing. Our first order of business is to approve the minutes of the board's October 14, 2025 meeting. Second. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Motion. Minutes are approved. Is there anyone here to speak on items not on today's agenda? If so, please step to the podium and state your name and spell your last name for the record. You will have three minutes to speak on a subject that is not on today's agenda. Seeing no one come forward. I'm the housing manager. The opt-out provision is available if the most current Schimberg Center for Housing Study Annual Report identifies a surplus of affordable and available rental units in the area. The most recent Schimberg report indicates that there is a surplus of available affordable units within the Tampa St. Pete Clearwater MSA for households that meet the income requirements for the 80 to 120 percent of area median income. Based on this finding, the city of Clearwater is eligible to exercise the the opt-out option. If this resolution is approved, the city will choose not to grant the exemption for eligible uh properties and will request that the Pinellas County property appraiser does not provide the exemption. This resolution will apply to all ad valorum property taxes levied by Pinellas County for property located within the City of Clearwater municipal boundaries. If adopted, the resolution will take effect on January 1st, 2026 and will expire January 1st, 2027. Um with that, I'd be happy to address any questions. What's the purpose of this? Just to generate money revenue? Um, so we find that the 80 to 120, um it we don't see that it would add any additional units. So I mean it would it would give a benefit to existing property owners, but we wouldn't add any additional units. And on top of that, the surplus was 2738, so it's 2,738 uh surplus units in that category in the Tampa uh St. Pete Clearwater MSA. So staff is necessary.
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