The Housing crisis in Brevard. What can we do about it? | Opinion
It was not long ago that Brevard residents could feel insulated from the plight of the homeless. Sure, there were a few obvious examples of our fellow citizens who had fallen on hard times, but we could still sleep at night. “Those people” were not in our family or friend circle and, thank heaven, our residential streets and business districts did not resemble San Francisco or Los Angeles.
Unfortunately, recent stratospheric increases in the price of rental housing and the unattainability of home ownership for so many has forever changed our little corner of the world. If you do not have a family member or close associate who has experienced homelessness or faced imminent homelessness in the past couple of years, you are in the minority. According to Amber Carroll, the Director of the Brevard Homeless Coalition, our homeless population has increased by more than 17% in the past two years.
With more than 60% of Florida’s population paying more for housing than they can afford, our children, parents, grandparents, and coworkers are now on the edge of homelessness… or over it. Seniors on fixed incomes are at particularly high risk as the market allows landlords to significantly increase rent rates and still easily fill their units. With the average Brevard two-bedroom home renting for more than $1,900 per month, a household earning less than $69,000/year ($33/hour) will have difficulty paying rent.
The awful stories average citizens are now encountering have, for years, been the daily experience at Community of Hope and other local partners.
◾ Ida and her grandson lived in a “cheap” hotel for months when their landlord finally raised the rent beyond what social security could support.
◾ Mila and her three children lived in a pavilion on Cocoa Village after the death of her husband resulted in homelessness.
◾ Sixty-five-year-old Jack worked on cruise ships until his eyesight totally deteriorated causing him to lose his job and home.
◾ Seventy-five-year-old Helen lived in a dumpster enclosure in Titusville.
Thanks to concerned citizens and hard-working agencies, Helen, Jack, Mila, and Ida are all stably housed now, but they are just the tip of the iceberg. There are thousands of households drowning under the surface.
The solutions are easily understood but not easily implemented. First, we need thousands more rental housing units where the cost per month is less than $1500 per month. Secondly, we need more rent vouchers or other financial support for those for whom even these rates are not attainable. Third, we need landlords willing to accept renters with such support, forgoing the standard operating requirements that they earn three times the monthly rent and have great credit to qualify. Finally, we must significantly increase the level of support for those agencies willing to provide low-cost housing and services and build the capacity of Brevard agencies to provide housing solutions.
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The overall cost of development including construction, architecture, engineering, and permitting, is the same whether you are building for market rate housing or affordable housing. Therefore, we must recognize that even the most charitably minded developer needs help in securing an adequate operating margin from affordable rents.
We need to find ways to make the numbers work for affordable housing projects if we want to keep our family members housed. As a current example, Orchid Lake in Cocoa is opening this summer thanks to support from Brevard County, the City of Cocoa, the Housing Authority of Brevard County, and tax credits through the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. These contributions make the 90 units viable to serve formerly homeless and low-income households. Other examples of making the numbers work for affordable housing are projects funded by Brevard County, Titusville, and Palm Bay, providing an additional 24 affordable housing units for families in Titusville and Palm Bay in the past year.
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There are also other populations who, although housed, suffer from issues that make it harder for them to stay housed. They need what is called permanent supportive housing. We need to find ways to provide ongoing social work, mental health, and/or medical services to keep them housed. Orchid Lake and Providence Place in Melbourne are being developed to do just that. Their combined 210 units will get people off the streets, provide the care they need, and make the residents and our community healthier.
Between 2010 and 2022, while the population of Brevard increased 15% (86,000) the number of affordable housing units actually decreased by 270! To address this kind of crisis situation we need nothing less than a community-wide effort, and the second annual Brevard County Affordable Housing Summit will gather experts from across our community and the state to share solutions.
Join us at the Summit, on May 31stat the Space Coast Convention Center in Cocoa. This event has been designed to bring local developers, housing service providers, policy makers, and funders together to offer potential solutions. We would love for you to be part of the discussions.
Register on Eventbrite at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brevard-county-2024-affordable-housing-summit-tickets-866802187677?aff=ebdshpsearchautocomplete
Drew Warren is the chief executive officer for Community of Hope
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Help solve Brevard County's affordable housing crisis.
