Clearwater advisory committee launches annual review of local housing incentives, flags parking and senior-housing gaps

The Affordable Housing Advisory Committee for the City of Clearwater began its 2025 work Sept. 9 with a kickoff meeting to update the city’s Local Housing Incentive Strategy (LHIS) and prepare recommendations that the City Council will consider this winter.

The committee — appointed by City Council in August — is required by the State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program (SHIP). Amanda Warner, planner and consultant with Wade Trim, told the committee, “So we are kicking off the first meeting of the affordable housing advisory committee for year 2025,” and reviewed the timeline for producing the LHIS and related documents to support the city’s SHIP grant application.

Why it matters: The LHIS informs policy options that affect where and how affordable housing can be developed in Clearwater, including incentives a project might use under Florida’s Live Local Act, which allows certain housing projects to claim statutory exemptions or streamlined approvals. Committee recommendations feed into a report the City Council will adopt and submit to the state; that report affects local eligibility and design of SHIP-funded programs.

Committee members and staff spent most of the meeting discussing barriers that reduce production and access to affordable housing in Clearwater. Speakers repeatedly cited construction and…