[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6125419,"mediaKeyId","2677154-243c8db91e9824032833ef30f8860f05","parentId",2677154,"title","Committee reviews Live Local Act, accessory dwelling rules and possible zoning changes to expand affordable units","audioSeconds",1282,"startMs",2594000,"endMs",3876000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2677154-243c8db91e9824032833ef30f8860f05&start=2594&end=3876","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2677154-243c8db91e9824032833ef30f8860f05/thumbnail_2594000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6125419/Walton-County/Florida/Committee-reviews-Live-Local-Act-accessory-dwelling-rules-and-possible-zoning-changes-to-expand-affordable-units","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6125419-0efcced99b211c15a0b5ccdab659be96/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437990&Signature=jTfqvDIHGsD2ypLn4Cwm82oh~HCWn8xaWZ75AaOyR1sXLOa0zUt5TnCzbM4jj0-FwpdjG7wPFbXO52hkN6kuYeOBBUHSoyKX8v5YnF4m6HQD6eDYONlRZ5GN2CmcH7F0yTaFtbpSH3X9pfdVQ~UIRogcDiIicPPie00cy3Gj-NMK1u7EdtQWt2Niu0NYZbaVHPw7sEz9Qf1onmyal0~VVQbNMSGajI9ZGL5c-Gk5gf70KiZK~tlkWLxQMJegqta47hMAenE4njP3fnHJalfcusfGif7FLblFCiGIC2BG8vkIFFnESg~25BsEW5PWBLJLlb9iZMhJZ6m0pDL7PwO47g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Walton County, FL","date","2025-03-19T00:47:30.053Z","article","Walton County planning staff and committee members discussed implementation of the Live Local Act, ways to monitor affordability outcomes and possible local zoning changes to allow more small or multi-unit housing for affordable units.

\"We are absolutely looking at that,\" Matt Carpenter, Planning Department, said when asked whether the county is tracking unit counts, bedroom mixes and affordability levels created under Live Local Act projects. Carpenter said he would bring an update on the composition of units and compliance reporting to the next meeting.

Committee members proposed several possible local changes to increase supply: allowing the voluntary conversion of a large single-family house into a duplex where one unit would be offered as affordable, adopting text amendments to permit duplexes on individual platted lots in limited circumstances, and clarifying procedures for voluntarily reducing mobility fees by setting a portion of units at 80 percent of area median income.

A committee member raised concern about a bill in the state legislature, described in the meeting as Sen. Gates's accessory dwelling unit (ADU) bill, which the group said could prevent local governments from requiring parking for ADUs. \"My concern is this new state law may preempt us from doing that,\" Carpenter said, noting that the county already allows ADUs on legal lots and that local conditions make parking requirements relevant outside walkable urban areas.

Staff said they will research code language to enable voluntary conversions and report back to the committee. Members also asked planning staff to coordinate with the property appraiser's office and county tax staff about communicating Live Local Act tax benefits and to provide an accountability update on how many affordable units are actually coming online under current projects.

The committee also discussed whether the county should pilot parking waivers in designated walkable areas and noted that accessory dwelling units have been allowed locally for decades.

The discussion closed with staff agreeing to return with draft text-amendment ideas and an update on Live Local Act projects and unit accounting at a future meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Affordable Housing Advisory Committee - Mar 18 2025","oneSentenceSummary","County planning staff said they are tracking Live Local Act projects and potential accountability measures; members discussed code text amendments, ADUs, duplex conversions and concerns about a state bill that could preempt local parking requirements.","taxTitle","Walton County, Florida","taxId",28197,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6125423,"Housing agency: more units appearing but voucher shortfall and long wait list persist",1343,1329000,2672000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2677154-243c8db91e9824032833ef30f8860f05&start=1329&end=2672","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2677154-243c8db91e9824032833ef30f8860f05/thumbnail_1329000.jpg","/articles/6125423/Walton-County/Florida/Housing-agency-more-units-appearing-but-voucher-shortfall-and-long-wait-list-persist","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6125423-b8194264839e8c8849cd63280467099e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437990&Signature=V2UcYX9DonM7SQYZmzE8qI3rV8xxGPUYQLlnp9FG8rhvhd~~ApZ9RwHqDViLpY8J9kp-9tmGBlbhVmO4yfULnYi8AJCT8ooM5idt8uN24gXFm~oZnNtIIWnBvlOfWKo5HXs8NZz~pwud3MoIoXz2yDzlFaQj8x~w3LY70TJlI~GxxgNXuLuUHSLaCBbj1BQ0-DxX~zPtnZd1SQPqg7pV3Ku2qnBRSXreMOmq1ojFD5bf0hcTNdWOPyWer5iB9CsHaSMP-eVkM33zSHr1y01zju-JOzp0PdOtKMHB73dau-JxjGQU-TFpFudyJaRBAXVHxn4fCfTLErHL5qqrm6jxaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Walton County housing staff reported an uptick in available rental units for low-income households while warning that program funding constraints and a large waiting list will limit how many families can be served this year.

\"We could have as many as 70 units that would come on board in Walton County for low income families,\" Mr. Baker, housing agency staff, told the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, adding that he currently maintains an availability list of 13 homes that could house families immediately.

Baker and other housing staff described several constraints keeping the program from moving faster: a national shortfall in HUD funding that limited voucher issuance the previous year; an online application pool that contains many out-of-county applicants; and tight local budgets. Baker said the agency had not issued vouchers between July and January but has resumed issuance and is currently issuing roughly two to three vouchers per month. He estimated an annual pace of somewhere between 24 and 60 vouchers if current conditions persist.

Baker said 1,400 households remain on the agency'wide waiting list and that roughly 400 of those applications likely came from out-of-county applicants who applied when the application process was online. That inflow requires staff to perform background checks for some applicants who do not actually live in Walton County, increasing administrative work and cost.

The agency paid $228,000 to local landlords in March, Baker reported; tenants contributed roughly $81,000 of that rent out of their own pockets. The agency also said it had recently terminated or begun investigating at least two families for portability abuses'accepting a voucher and then not living in Walton County.

Facing rising rents and landlord requests for higher contract amounts, the housing office said it has temporarily \"held all rents as they are\" under voucher contracts pending further review; Baker described the action as a local policy to limit immediate rent increases. Staff noted HUD rules limit what landlords can add to contract rents (for example, HUD allows upfront pet deposits but generally not monthly pet fees added to voucher contract rents).

Baker and committee members also discussed program options used elsewhere, including the Move-to-Work model that gives local agencies more flexibility to set participant requirements and pilot work-incentive structures, and Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) programming. The Walton program currently has 21 families in FSS, staff said, and acknowledged resource constraints: the housing office has two employees handling roughly 300 program households.

Committee members asked for more information on how to prioritize local applicants, how the agency can manage portability, and how to prepare residents for landlord screening and financial readiness.","Walton County housing staff reported new availability of units for low-income families and said the program resumed issuing some vouchers after a shortfall, but 1,400 households remain on the waiting list and issuance rates are limited by funding and portability issues.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6125428,"Walton County committee weighs using SHIP, CRA and nonprofit help to keep seniors in their homes",1132,198000,1330000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2677154-243c8db91e9824032833ef30f8860f05&start=198&end=1330","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2677154-243c8db91e9824032833ef30f8860f05/thumbnail_198000.jpg","/articles/6125428/Walton-County/Florida/Walton-County-committee-weighs-using-SHIP-CRA-and-nonprofit-help-to-keep-seniors-in-their-homes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6125428-33051b0a7c5a2136becfb66e23bb0707/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437990&Signature=SPzYs9EWXpFXFcZKkB2tkPsNDgNPjiBFaCXwphrxuUz9BhdriVJ9q2yv3r5K59c9TwjrmsaSPJ8TteNq9MOk2MHKCVycWyFobxCPDXLSj-v3Sm2GymjiV5EGOlue4KaulmIQ2aUeNuCTbI7lHU81TlhqllOFcdevSUsWXhnFGDqx314QacsJoWX1CUjxkheV8eO6x4HfesCdcjqjaeehtb-1ZmhqXN4TDoEdaRsGhE4cOnuq~BuQKD-A0mtEUhGjlr7qpHwdpRqJ~-boxcXTNdw0paXg1qFC9A51PimS3moTgNjv55dEdNpxRmCRQXZHWWcxzA~mE8hwFkz1xrjFnA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of the Walton County Affordable Housing Advisory Committee discussed steps to help older residents remain in their homes, focusing on state SHIP-funded owner-occupied rehabilitation, potential assistance from Habitat for Humanity and questions about reverse mortgages and CRA funds.

Committee chair Melanie opened the discussion by saying she had heard concerns about seniors living on home equity and asked whether the committee could track the number of residents with reverse mortgages and whether local funding could offset accessibility repairs.

\"One of the things that we've used successfully to address just that kind of thing\" was owner-occupied rehabilitation, Matt Carpenter, Planning Department, told the committee, referring to improvements such as accessible showers and widened doorways funded through SHIP. Carpenter said the county's recently approved local housing assistance plan includes owner-occupied rehabilitation as a primary strategy.

Committee members and staff described the county's existing practice of using SHIP money to make homes accessible for elderly or disabled homeowners, including step-in showers with grab bars, enlarged doorways, roofing repairs and accessible walkways. Kelly, the program contact, said people interested in rehabilitation are placed on a wait list and prioritized by need; she reported 46 people currently on the rehab wait list.

Speakers also discussed the lien the county places on rehabilitated properties and efforts to clear or document satisfied liens in official records. One staff member said the county is proactively filing satisfactions of mortgage for completed projects and for estates that had gone through probate so title searches show liens as released.

The committee flagged several open questions for follow-up: whether Habitat for Humanity would provide funding or only labor and materials; whether Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) funds for DeFuniak Springs can be used for accessibility work; and how the county could determine the local prevalence of reverse mortgages. Patricia and other members said they would seek more information and return with details at the next meeting.

The committee accepted the minutes of the prior meeting by voice vote at the start of the session.

The committee agreed to place aging-in-place back on the agenda when staff from Habitat and county grant programs are available to outline funding, eligibility and any programmatic limitations.","Committee members discussed aging-in-place strategies including SHIP-funded owner-occupied rehabilitation, a Habitat for Humanity partnership, questions about reverse mortgages and the county's effort to clear old program liens from property records.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee reviews Live Local Act, accessory dwelling rules and possible zoning changes to expand affordable units

Housing agency: more units appearing but voucher shortfall and long wait list persist

Walton County committee weighs using SHIP, CRA and nonprofit help to keep seniors in their homes