Leveraging Public Land to House Government Employees
Leveraging Public Land to House Government Employees
I previously wrote about the use of government-owned land as one potential approach to help address South Florida’s housing affordability crisis. The lack of affordable and workforce housing is particularly problematic for many government employees, and local governments in South Florida are increasingly looking to public-private development not only as a partial solution to the larger, community-wide affordability crisis, but also as a solution to the housing needs of their employees.
The Pressing Need for Government Employee Housing
South Florida's high cost of living poses significant challenges for government agencies in recruiting and retaining essential workers. Teachers, nurses, police officers, bus drivers, and other public servants often find themselves priced out of the communities they serve. This disconnect between wages and housing costs not only affects the quality of life for these employees, but can also impact the delivery of crucial public services to the extent the employees are priced out of the housing market.
Innovative Solutions Using Public Land
Local governments in South Florida are increasingly recognizing their land assets as a powerful tool to address this issue. This past year, we have been involved in multiple public/private development transactions that included housing preferences for the employees of the government that owns the particular property being developed. A few specific examples include housing units for bus drivers, hospital workers, and teachers. Earlier this year, Miami-Dade County also adopted Ordinance 24-20 requiring set-asides for County employees for new housing developed on County airport property. This is very much a growing trend.
The Implementation Government-Employee Housing Preferences
Private developers doing business with government have often embraced (and in some cases have even proposed) these set asides. Public employees generally have very stable jobs and make for great tenants. However, there are many details that need to be worked through in order for the general principle to become a binding and workable contractual commitment. For example, for how long should a unit be made available to government employees before the developer may make it available to the community at large? These provisions can become quite complex in order to ensure that the preference is implemented in an efficient manner.
As South Florida continues to grapple with its housing affordability crisis, the creative use of government-owned land for housing for government employees stands out as a growing and promising solution. By providing affordable housing options for teachers, healthcare workers, and other essential employees, local governments are not merely addressing a housing need but are also investing in the quality and stability of crucial public services that benefit the entire community.