Consultant hired to help Okaloosa County increase supply of attainable workforce housing
The Okaloosa County Commission has hired a consulting firm to help the county develop a comprehensive plan to increase its stock of attainable workforce housing.
Thomas P. Miller and Associates will be paid $92,697 for its work. The money will come from a $100,000 Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund (LATCF) grant that the county received from the U.S. Treasury Department, according to county government.
The American Rescue Plan, passed by Congress to help the nation get through the COVID-19 pandemic, gave Treasury $2 billion to disburse to counties and Tribal governments. Recipients could use the money "on any governmental purpose except for a lobbying activity," according to the Treasury website.
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In Okaloosa, the governmental purpose is to help the county find ways to provide more attainable housing for the local workforce, which includes first responders, teachers, enlisted personnel and workers in the retail and service industries.
County government said it tried to get a study funded through a state local support grant, but it was vetoed in July 2022.
The consultant "will work with county staff and the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee to perform economic research and analyses, conduct engagement sessions, and formulate recommendations designed to promote the development, preservation, and access to housing to help meet the need of Okaloosa County’s resident workforce and families," county government said in a news release.
The consultant and its partners will consider new strategies and measure the effectiveness of existing ones, the release says. The consultant's work should be completed by the end of this year.
Elliot Kampert, director of the Okaloosa County Growth Management Department, said that when it comes to attainable housing for the workforce, the county has a deficit of several thousand units (single-family homes/apartments/condos/townhomes.) There's plenty of building going on, but most of it is aimed at the higher-end market.
"A rapidly-growing and high-cost community, Okaloosa County is facing a shortage in attainable housing for its residents," county government wrote in its Request for Proposal for the consultant. "As indicated by high prices and rents, there is an unmet demand for housing, as supply has not kept up with demand.
"This is a growing problem that is projected to escalate in coming years due to anticipated growth in military missions stationed at the Eglin Reservation, the influx of new residents who do not need to wait until retirement to come to Florida due to the advent of 'Zoom towns' and tele-working, and the general attractiveness of Florida due to its generally relaxed regulatory climate and lack of state income tax," the document says.
The effort to attract more attainable workforce housing can't be left just in the private sector's hands. Kampert said local government can and should play a role by finding effective incentives.
The consultant will help assess the effectiveness of existing incentives, such as tax credits and regulatory incentives for builders who commit to increasing the stock of attainable housing. The consultant also will use its experience and knowledge of other local governments to suggest strategies that Okaloosa isn't currently employing.
"What else is out there that might work?" Kampert asked. "We're keeping a very open mind."
jross@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Okaloosa: Consultant will find ways to boost attainable housing stock
