2025 Affordable Housing Workshop

The County Commission held an Affordable Housing Workshop on October 7, 2025 with many community stakeholders in attendance.  Below is a link to the presentation from the workshop.

• October 7, 2025 - Affordable Housing Workshop Presentation

Affordable Housing Priority

Sarasota County recognizes affordable housing as a priority in our community and employs various approaches to serve different populations in our community. These strategies include:

• Encouraging the market to provide diversity in housing types and affordability levels through land use policies, typically targeting low and moderate-income households and workforce housing. Explore the “Tools in Our Toolbox” and Density Bonuses below to learn more.
• Supporting local non-profits in developing affordable housing for the aged, individuals with special needs and those with incomes ranging from moderate to extremely low, as well as workforce housing.
• Supporting the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) in the regular review and recommendation of local policies and actions to further the development of affordable housing.

Tools in Our Toolbox

Current strategies in expanding affordable housing in Sarasota County include:

County Surplus Properties

Current county initiatives to advance affordable housing on county-owned properties that are declared surplus:

• 2501 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Way - Residential and commercial mixed-use community on 114.13 acres named Gracewater Midtown.
  • 370 affordable housing units, with 25% of the units being affordable for 10 years.
  • Includes a minimum of 5,000 square feet of grocery and pharmacy.
  • On Feb. 21, 2024, the commission approved a rezone for this property as well as authorized the transmittal of a Comprehensive Plan Amendment for the property to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
  • As of September 2024, the county sold the property with a land use restriction agreement for the affordable housing units and grocery/pharmacy.
• 4644 N. Tamiami Trail - Residential development on 6.2 acres, named New Trail Plaza.
  • At least 96 units serving families at 80% area median income or less for no less than 50 years.
  • As of March 2024, the county sold the property with a 50 year Land Use Restriction Agreement (LURA) for the 96 units of affordable housing.
• North McCall Road - Community Housing Trust (CHT) development on 18.14 acres in Englewood.
  • Cluster subdivision of at least 39 single-family attached units.
  • Operating under the CHT’s land trust model and remaining affordable in perpetuity.
  • As of August 2024, the commission approved a purchase and sale agreement, now advancing toward closing.

Commercial Redevelopment

Ordinance No. 2021-075 (adopted December 2021) allows upper-story residential dwelling units less than 750 square feet to count as one-half unit for density purposes.

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)

Ordinance No. 2019-024 (adopted September 2019) allows ADUs in certain residential districts.

• RSF – Residential, Single Family
• RSF/PUD – Residential, Single-Family/Planned Unit Development (when adopted as part of a binding development concept plan)
• RE – Residential, Estate

Half Dwelling Units

Ordinance No. 2019-004 (adopted March 2019) allows dwelling units less than 750 square feet to count as one-half unit for density purposes for multi-family development.

Impact Fee Rate Provisions

Ordinance No. 2018-011 (adopted April 2018) amended the Mobility Fee Ordinance to include reduced rates for smaller housing units (e.g., multi-units less than 750 square feet, micro-apartments, and tiny homes). 

Ordinance No. 2022-071 (adopted February 2023) allows for a 100% exception for Mobility, Library, and Park impact fees for multi-family developments meeting 60% or less of the AMI, and a 50% reduction in fees for developments providing units up to 80% AMI. Library and Park impact fees may be reduced 25% for units up to 120% AMI.

Parking Requirements

Ordinance No. 2017-069 (adopted January 2018) reduces parking requirements for multi- and single-family developments.

Utility Fee Rates

Resolution No. 2018-163 (amended August 2018 - Utilities Water and Wastewater Equivalent Dwelling Units Table) creates a new residential, master-metered category for a single-family dwelling of less than 750 square feet being established at 0.5 EDU (equivalent dwelling unit).

Expedited Permitting Procedures

Resolution 2017-178 (adopted October 2017) streamlines review processes for affordable housing by expediting the processing and permitting of developments and structures that would increase or enhance Affordable Housing.

Expedited processing is available for developments when a minimum of 15% of housing units are affordable for rent or ownership to households earning less than 100% area median income as adjusted annually. Development projects which are required to provide minimum amounts of affordable housing associated with their approvals shall provide, at a minimum, an additional 5% above the required units in order to be eligible for incentives identified herein. Note that expedited processing is not available when affordable housing is required by county code or comprehensive plan policy.

Density Bonuses

Density bonuses may be offered within specific development types to incentivize the creation of affordable housing. These include:

• Sarasota 2050 Villages
• Mixed-use Developments
• The Affordable Housing Overlay

Policies governing these incentives are in the Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan (starting on page V1-197) and the Unified Development Code available online via Municode (external). An information table and map of these approved developments can be found in the Projects folder below.

Florida Statute 125.379

Florida Statute 125.379 requires that every three years, counties prepare a list of government-owned property that is appropriate for use as affordable housing.   On September 26, 2023, the County Commission held a discussion on this topic and identified no properties to be included on the inventory.

Live Local Act

The Live Local Act (“LLA”), as amended and codified in Florida Statute § 125.01055, is a statewide attainable-housing strategy designed to increase the availability of affordable housing across Florida.

Under the LLA, Sarasota County must authorize multi-family and mixed-use residential as allowable uses in any area zoned for commercial, industrial, or mixed-use, and in portions of any flexibly zoned area such as planned unit development permitted for commercial, industrial or mixed-use, if at least 40% of the residential units in a multi-family development are rental units, that for a period of 30 years, are affordable as defined by Florida Statute § 420.0004.

Click here for a link to Florida Statute § 125.01055.

In summary, the statute provides:

Eligible Housing Types

Multi-family and Mixed-use Residential

Development Criteria

Notwithstanding any other law, local ordinance, or regulation to the contrary, Sarasota County may not require a proposed multi-family development obtain a zoning or land use change, special exception, conditional use approval, variance, transfer of density or development units, amendment to a development of regional impact, or comprehensive plan amendment for the building height, zoning, and densities authorized under the Florida Statute § 125.01055(7).

Notwithstanding the provisions of Florida Statute § 125.01055(7), proposed multi-family and mixed-use residential developments must comply with all other applicable Sarasota County Comprehensive Plan provisions and applicable land development regulations, including, but not limited to, those contained within the Unified Development Code (“UDC”).

• Zoning - Multi-family and mixed-use residential developments that meet the requirements of the LLA are permitted as an allowable use in any area zoned for commercial, industrial, or mixed-use, and in portions of any flexibly zoned area such as planned unit development permitted for commercial, industrial, or mixed use, if at least 40% of the residential units in a multi-family development are rental units, that for a period of 30 years, are affordable as defined by Florida Statute § 420.0004.

For mixed-use residential projects, at least 65% of the total square footage must be used for residential purposes.  Sarasota County may not require that more than 10% of the total square footage of such mixed-use residential projects be used for nonresidential purposes.

• Density - Sarasota County may not restrict the density of a proposed development authorized under the LLA below the highest currently allowed, or allowed on July 1, 2023, density on any unincorporated land in Sarasota County where residential development is allowed under Sarasota County’s land development regulations.  For purposes of density, the term “highest currently allowed density” does not include the density of any building that met the requirements of the LLA or the density of any building that has received any bonus, variance, or other special exception for density provided in Sarasota County’s land development regulations as an incentive for development. 

   

• Height - Sarasota County may not restrict the height of a proposed development authorized under the LLA below the highest currently allowed height for a commercial or residential building located within unincorporated Sarasota County within 1 mile of the proposed development or 3 stories, whichever is higher. For purposes of this paragraph, the term “highest currently allowed height” does not include the height of any building that met the requirements of the LLA or the height of any building that has received any bonus, variance, or other special exception for height provided in Sarasota County’s land development regulations as an incentive for development.

If the proposed development is adjacent to, on two or more sides, a parcel zoned for single-family residential use which is within a single-family residential development with at least 25 contiguous single-family homes, Sarasota County may restrict the height of the proposed development to 150 percent of the tallest building on any property adjacent to the proposed development, the highest currently allowed height for the property provided in Sarasota County’s land development regulations, or 3 stories, whichever is higher. For the purposes of this paragraph, the term “adjacent to” means those properties sharing more than one point of a property line but does not include properties separated by a public road.

• Bonus Density, High, Floor Area Ratio - Qualifying multi-family and mixed-use residential developments may apply for a bonus for density, height, or floor area ratio if the qualifying development satisfies the conditions to receive the bonus, except for any condition which conflicts with LLA.  Such bonus may be administratively approved.

Sarasota County Review Process

Pursuant to Florida Statute § 125.01055, Sarasota County shall maintain on its website a policy containing procedures and expectations for administrative approval under the LLA.

Please follow the steps below if you are interested in developing affordable housing utilizing the provisions outlined in the Live Local Act:

Step 1: Request Live Local Act Development. Applicants shall submit a preliminary statement to the Planning and Development Services Director containing a narrative demonstrating the statutory basis for the requested LLA development.  As part of the preliminary statement, applicants shall disclose how the proposed development complies with the requirement of Florida Statutes § 125.01055(7) (e.g., 40% of the units are restricted to 120% Average Monthly Income (“AMI”) adjusted for family size, using the region’s most recent figures, limiting rents to 30% of said incomes, for at least 30 years).

Step 2 (Required): Meeting with Planning and Development Services Director. Applicants are required to schedule a preliminary meeting with Sarasota County’s Planning and Development Services Director to discuss site specifics under the LLA, along with entitlements and issues related to the specific parcel. Note: The determination of whether a proposed development qualifies under the LLA does not occur until Step 4 - Site Development Process.

Step 3 (Required): Pre-Submittal Meeting. Applicants are required to schedule a Pre-Submittal meeting with Sarasota County’s Development Review Coordination (“DRC”) Staff. This meeting will give the applicant an opportunity to explain the LLA request and to hear from Sarasota County departments about the requirements for Site Development. After completion of the Pre-Submittal meeting, the UDC Administrator or designee will provide the applicant with a written summary of DRC comments. Note: The determination of whether a proposed development qualifies under the LLA does not occur until Step 4 - Site Development Process.

Step 4: Site Development Process. In compliance with Florida Statute § 125.01055, Sarasota County shall process applications for qualifying LLA developments under the LLA administratively. During the review of the Site Development Application, Sarasota County will determine whether the proposed development qualifies as a LLA development in addition to the other applicable Sarasota County Comprehensive Plan provisions and applicable land development regulations, including, but not limited to, those contained within the Unified Development Code (“UDC”). Per Section 124-41 of the UDC, the Applicant will proceed through the Site Development review process which includes submittal, sufficiency, and final action.

Step 5: Building Permits. Per Section 124-50 of the UDC, the Applicant will be required to obtain the appropriate building permits in compliance with the Florida Building Code.

NOTE: During the Site Development process, the Owner shall record a Land Use Restriction Agreement (LURA), or other covenant running with the land, in a form acceptable to the Sarasota County Office of the County Attorney to ensure the development maintains affordability for 30 years as required by the LLA.

Federal and State Funding

Sarasota County is utilizing federal and state funding (one-time appropriations and recurring appropriations) to support and advance affordable housing initiatives. These include, but are not limited to ARPA/SLFRF and CDBG-DR. For more information, please visit the Financial Management webpage.

Affordable Housing Reports

Sarasota County has produced several reports including background information and demographics, strategies, best practices, and community input related to affordable housing. Additionally, the Florida Housing Coalition (FHC) developed a report with background and recommendations for our community. This research can be found in the Reports folder of the Document Library below.