The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday debated how to spend remaining housing bond funds and instructed staff to prioritize homeownership while allowing one final competitive round for rental projects.

The discussion followed staff presentations showing that of the units funded to date, about 70% (1,487 units) were classified as affordable and 30% (646 units) as workforce, yielding roughly 2,133 approved units overall and an approximate housing bond award total cited by staff at about $117 million. Commissioners said those results and the scarcity of developable land meant the county must adjust how it directs remaining dollars.

Commissioners weighed two approaches. Vice Mayor Woodward initially proposed protecting 50% of what remains, later conservatively suggesting $50 million, while Commissioner Flores urged setting aside $40 million up front and using any funds that fail underwriting from the next RFP round to grow the for‑sale pool. County staff noted that some projects already allocated may not pass underwriting and could return funds to the pool, affecting the final available balance.

Legal counsel and staff advised that any re‑opening of the RFP must be open to qualified applicants and competitive by statute; they also described an alternative path using the county’s Housing Incentive Program (HIP) — ad valorem funding separate from bond dollars — to address projects that did not meet bond criteria.

Before the allocation decision, the board approved two workforce projects (item 6e2) and granted $332,000 in impact‑fee assistance for Peace Village (item 6e3). The vote to approve the two workforce projects carried 6‑0; later votes on related items also passed unanimously or by majority where noted.

What’s next: Staff will prepare a modified RFP for a for‑sale‑focused round after the first of the year and return with recommendations on incentives and possible bundling of bond and other county funding to make for‑sale development more financially viable. Commissioners asked staff to work with industry partners, economic council members and community organizations to design terms likely to attract developers and to bring technical recommendations to a future workshop.