Joint county-city AHAC recommends ADU ordinances, public-lands process and finance task force to expand affordable housing

The Flagler County–Palm Coast Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) presented its 2024 annual report at a Palm Coast City Council workshop on Jan. 14, urging a package of strategies to expand affordable housing, including accessory dwelling unit (ADU) ordinances, streamlined reviews, a housing finance exploration task force and a formal process for identifying surplus public land for affordable housing.

The panel presenting the report included Joe Hegatus, director of Flagler County Health and Human Services, and Debri (Debbie) Peradowski, housing services program manager, who reviewed AHAC’s recommended actions and timelines. “We request that the board and council formally acknowledge the report and adopt all, some, or none of the recommendations,” Hegatus said, describing the committee’s role and the report’s purpose.

Why it matters: The AHAC recommendations relate to the Live Local Act and to the use of State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP) funds. The committee said communities should require a housing-cost impact statement for regulatory changes that could affect housing costs and suggested timelines such as drafting an ADU ordinance by Q2 2025 if adopted.

Key recommendations summarized at the workshop: - Formalize an implementation plan and assign staff across departments to carry out any adopted AHAC recommendations, with an implementation plan and schedule provided to the committee by March (as an example). - Develop an ADU ordinance tailored to local zoning and parking rules to allow modest, “light-touch” density such as garage or internal conversions and junior ADUs, while aligning with SHIP funding assessment requirements. - Create an interlocal housing finance exploration task force to evaluate revenue sources (including grants and bonds) and the feasibility of a housing trust fund. - Provide online Live Local Act information and TRX/technical-review links on county and city websites to assist developers and residents. - Formalize a surplus-public-lands process for affordable housing consistent with Florida statute 125.379 and municipal code references, and prioritize affordable units within the comprehensive plan’s housing element.

At the meeting, staff and council members repeatedly emphasized the need for study and local analysis before adopting ordinances. Jose Papa of the community development department said a comprehensive-plan-level study should inform what housing strategies fit Palm Coast and noted that existing codes (for example, parking requirements) could constrain ADU conversions.

On housing stock and need: Presenters said Flagler County has a little over 600 subsidized units and that the county remains exempt under the Live Local Act for a property-tax exemption because the county does not yet meet the required count of affordable units. The committee recommended that any adopted policy include an assessment of impacts on housing costs and deed-restriction mechanics where applicable.

Public comments included testimony from AHAC Vice Chair and resident Valerie Clymer, who urged councilors to act: “We need to start with putting some things in place. We need to make it easier.” Council members requested additional data and impact estimates to inform policy choices.

Next steps: The AHAC asked for council acknowledgement and directed staff to incorporate any adopted recommendations into the joint local housing assistance plan by May. Council members and staff said that the comprehensive plan update and a subsequent land development-code rewrite will be the venues to conduct detailed studies, draft an ADU ordinance if chosen, and later implement LDC changes with public hearings.

Ending: Council directed staff to continue work on the comprehensive-plan process and to return with studies and draft code language as appropriate; no council vote to adopt AHAC recommendations occurred at the workshop.