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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Fort Lauderdale City Commission Joint Workshop with Affordable Housing Advisory Committee - February 17, 2026

City Commission — Tuesday, February 17, 2026

BodyFort Lauderdale, Florida

SessionCity Commission

DateTuesday, February 17, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:10:02

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

0:00

Good afternoon, everybody, and welcome to the uh Fort Lauderdale City Commission joint workshop with the Affordable Housing Affordable Housing Advisory Committee.

0:10

I want to thank you all for being here today.

0:13

And uh I want to first of all thank you for all the good work that you do during the course of the year and all the advice that you give us and how important it is that we continue to find opportunities for affordable housing.

0:27

I want to say I want to compliment the commission and city staff for the great work that uh we have already accomplished in finding opportunities uh for affordable housing both within the CRA and outside the CRA and how um I think Fort Lauderdale stands out as an example for others to follow in terms of trying to find affordable housing at all levels of income uh here in our city.

0:52

So having said that I'll turn the chair over this the um not the chair to turn the the uh item over to the city manager, city manager oh do the role?

1:07

Okay, good idea.

1:09

So um Mr.

1:11

Clerk, please uh please take the role of the commission.

1:14

Yes.

1:15

Uh Vice Mayor Herbs is not present at the moment, Commissioner Glossman.

1:18

Here, Commissioner Beasley Pittman.

1:19

Here, Commissioner Sornson, here Mayor Trentals.

1:22

Yes, and uh now would you please take the role of the affordable housing advisory committee?

1:27

Chair Susan Sprague, Sprague Willie McKay, President, Chantel Jaram.

1:37

Commissioner Beasley Pittman.

1:39

Here, here William Condon, Eric LeCire, sorry.

1:49

Uh Augustina Sklar.

1:52

Amanda Wilson.

1:54

And Rich Dirlamo.

1:58

All right.

2:00

Better late than never.

2:04

David, I'm sorry.

2:05

Umkay, she is here.

2:07

She stepped out.

2:08

I don't know.

2:08

Oh, she did.

2:09

Okay, she's in the she's she was with us earlier, so she's somewhere.

2:12

Okay.

2:13

Thank you.

2:14

If you can recognize her as present.

2:17

Okay, now city manager.

2:19

Thank you, Mayor.

2:20

Good afternoon, Mayor and Commissioners.

2:22

I have the distinct pleasure of attending a recent meeting of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, and I can attest to the tremendous work that they are doing as a committee and how interested and engaged they are in the work that we're doing as a city to promote affordable housing.

2:40

Uh Miss Rachel Williams in the Housing and Community Development Division will lead the presentation.

2:47

And uh Chair Sprague as well as other members of the committee are available to share information, recommendations, and we're looking to get some feedback from the commission so we can determine the next steps in terms of policy direction.

3:03

So at this time, Miss Rachel Williams will come forward.

3:06

Good afternoon.

3:08

If you could just push the button at the bottom, great, thank you.

3:12

Good afternoon, Mayor and Commissioners, City Leadership and AHAC members.

3:18

I'm Rachel Williams, Housing and Community Development Manager, and today I'm here just to present an overview of the topics that will be discussed by the AHAC.

3:30

And the AHAC, along with staff, will see seek your feedback and directions on the incentives presented.

3:39

But before I go on, I'd like to acknowledge members from the housing and community development team that are present here with me today.

3:47

I have with me assistant housing and community development manager, Olivet Carter, and our very newly appointed planner, Amanda.

3:59

Her first day in HCD.

4:13

Okay, so the today the AHAC will discuss um three primary incentives, and staff will also seek direction on two prior incentives that were discussed with the commission.

4:25

The three incentives to be discussed today are one to increase public awareness and education on affordable housing activities, the use of city-owned land for affordable housing, and the develop to develop an affordable housing master plan.

4:53

And I will hand over to Chair Sprague.

5:00

Totally forgot that I had a QA going from there.

5:05

Which will go which will lead the AHAC team in further discussing those incentives.

5:10

And then from there, we will seek the commission's feedback on implementation of the incentives, discuss having a discussion around accessory dwelling unit policies and waiver of impact fees for affordable housing.

5:31

Under public awareness and education, which is the first incentive that will be discussed.

5:38

The AHAC will seek input on how can we increase communication and marketing to city residents on rental and home ownership opportunities.

6:04

But before I hand over this item to the AHAC, I'd like to explain to the commission some of the programs we already have in place addressing some of these items.

6:27

We have purchase assistance, housing rehabilitation, and rent assistance.

6:34

Those are promoted through our Stratcom teams.

6:36

We have marketing material which is shared with our nonprofits and also with our first-time home buyers.

6:44

They have to go through a HUD certified housing counseling, and those agencies that are HUD certified in the community are well aware, and they do promote these items.

7:23

Currently, we utilize both the tax credits and the ship guidelines to identify properties that would meet this set aside.

7:33

Currently, we are doing that three times a year, I believe.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Affordable Housing█████████████████████████████████████████████72%

Public Engagement██████9%

Accessory Dwelling Units████7%

Urban Planning███4%

Homelessness███4%

Procedural█2%

Budget Equity Analysis█2%

Summary of Proceedings

Fort Lauderdale City Commission Joint Workshop with Affordable Housing Advisory Committee - February 17, 2026

The Fort Lauderdale City Commission held a joint workshop with the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) on February 17, 2026, to discuss and seek direction on several affordable housing incentives and policy updates. The meeting focused on three primary incentives: increasing public awareness and education, using city-owned land for affordable housing, and developing an affordable housing master plan. Additionally, the commission received updates on accessory dwelling unit (ADU) policies and explored the possibility of waiving impact fees for affordable housing developments. Key decisions included setting a target AMI range of 40-60% and aiming for 20% of units in incentivized projects to be affordable, moving away from the current 10% requirement.

Discussion Items

Public Awareness and Education: The AHAC recommended increasing communication and marketing to city residents about rental and homeownership opportunities. They noted that units often fill quickly, and some residents are unaware of available options. Staff proposed leveraging strategic communications, electronic messaging boards, and quarterly updates from the city on pipeline projects. The commission supported creating a periodic email list of city-owned surplus parcels for affordable housing.
Use of City-Owned Land: The AHAC recommended expanding the annual property evaluation process to include parcels zoned for commercial or industrial use, as permitted by recent Florida statute. They also suggested reviewing smaller or oddly shaped lots that may not meet current zoning minimums (e.g., 6,000 sq ft lot size, width requirements). The commission discussed allowing variances tied to affordable housing restrictions, with a focus on 50% AMI (annual income of $45,900 for a family of four). Staff noted that the city already has a program for infill lots but few remain; future efforts will involve AHAC in the annual review.
Affordable Housing Master Plan: The AHAC proposed a standalone affordable housing master plan to better assess local demographics, housing needs, and market conditions. The city already has a comprehensive plan with a housing element, but the AHAC feels more specific data is needed. The Florida Housing Coalition has selected Fort Lauderdale's AHAC for a support initiative that will analyze land development regulations and provide recommendations through June 2026. Staff noted that a similar HUD consolidated plan cost $60,000 in 2019; the mayor questioned the need for a costly study given known affordability crisis, but the committee emphasized the need to better target the 50% AMI and below population, which is most at risk for homelessness.
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs): Staff updated on progress since June 2025, outlining four goals: develop an ADU education guide, pre-approved plans, code updates (including removing outdated language, expanding to annexed areas, and addressing parking requirements), and a tracking system for affordability. The mayor cautioned about ensuring ADUs cannot be used for short-term rentals, noting pending state legislation. Discussion also touched on allowing smaller units (e.g., 200-400 sq ft) to accommodate elderly parents or others.
Waiver of Impact Fees: Staff sought direction on whether to pursue a policy to waive park impact fees and water/wastewater capital expansion fees for affordable housing developments, as permitted by recent state law. The city currently supplements fees from the general fund rather than waiving them. An example: for 88 units below 60% AMI, the waiver would be about $148,000. Commissioners raised concerns about bond covenants related to water/sewer fees and the impact on park funding. Staff will research legal and financial implications, with possible annual caps. The commission was generally supportive of exploring the policy.

Key Outcomes

Consensus on AMI Target: The commission agreed to focus on 40-60% AMI for incentivized affordable housing projects, with a target of 20% of total units in a mixed-income development to be affordable (moving away from the current 10% requirement). The approach will be flexible, evaluating pro formas on a case-by-case basis.
Direction to Staff: Staff was directed to:
- Develop a quarterly update process for pipeline affordable housing projects and city-owned surplus parcels.
- Work with the AHAC to create a policy for waiving impact fees, including legal review of bond covenants and potential annual caps.
- Continue the ADU action plan, including code updates and pre-approved plans, while monitoring state legislation on short-term rental restrictions.
- Report back to the commission with specific policy proposals for future consideration.
Acknowledgments: The commission thanked outgoing AHAC Chair Susan Sprague for her service and commended the committee's work.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon, everybody, and welcome to the uh Fort Lauderdale City Commission joint workshop with the Affordable Housing Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. I want to thank you all for being here today. And uh I want to first of all thank you for all the good work that you do during the course of the year and all the advice that you give us and how important it is that we continue to find opportunities for affordable housing. I want to say I want to compliment the commission and city staff for the great work that uh we have already accomplished in finding opportunities uh for affordable housing both within the CRA and outside the CRA and how um I think Fort Lauderdale stands out as an example for others to follow in terms of trying to find affordable housing at all levels of income uh here in our city. So having said that I'll turn the chair over this the um not the chair to turn the the uh item over to the city manager, city manager oh do the role? Okay, good idea. So um Mr. Clerk, please uh please take the role of the commission. Yes. Uh Vice Mayor Herbs is not present at the moment, Commissioner Glossman. Here, Commissioner Beasley Pittman. Here, Commissioner Sornson, here Mayor Trentals. Yes, and uh now would you please take the role of the affordable housing advisory committee? Chair Susan Sprague, Sprague Willie McKay, President, Chantel Jaram. Commissioner Beasley Pittman. Here, here William Condon, Eric LeCire, sorry. Uh Augustina Sklar. Amanda Wilson. And Rich Dirlamo. All right. Better late than never. David, I'm sorry. Umkay, she is here. She stepped out. I don't know. Oh, she did. Okay, she's in the she's she was with us earlier, so she's somewhere. Okay. Thank you. If you can recognize her as present. Okay, now city manager. Thank you, Mayor. Good afternoon, Mayor and Commissioners. I have the distinct pleasure of attending a recent meeting of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, and I can attest to the tremendous work that they are doing as a committee and how interested and engaged they are in the work that we're doing as a city to promote affordable housing. Uh Miss Rachel Williams in the Housing and Community Development Division will lead the presentation. And uh Chair Sprague as well as other members of the committee are available to share information, recommendations, and we're looking to get some feedback from the commission so we can determine the next steps in terms of policy direction. So at this time, Miss Rachel Williams will come forward. Good afternoon. If you could just push the button at the bottom, great, thank you. Good afternoon, Mayor and Commissioners, City Leadership and AHAC members. I'm Rachel Williams, Housing and Community Development Manager, and today I'm here just to present an overview of the topics that will be discussed by the AHAC. And the AHAC, along with staff, will see seek your feedback and directions on the incentives presented. But before I go on, I'd like to acknowledge members from the housing and community development team that are present here with me today. I have with me assistant housing and community development manager, Olivet Carter, and our very newly appointed planner, Amanda. Her first day in HCD. Okay, so the today the AHAC will discuss um three primary incentives, and staff will also seek direction on two prior incentives that were discussed with the commission. The three incentives to be discussed today are one to increase public awareness and education on affordable housing activities, the use of city-owned land for affordable housing, and the develop to develop an affordable housing master plan. And I will hand over to Chair Sprague. Totally forgot that I had a QA going from there. Which will go which will lead the AHAC team in further discussing those incentives.

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