Affordable Housing Incentives
Height and Density Bonuses are incentive-based tools that allow a developer to increase the maximum allowable development on a site in exchange for affordable housing development to support housing affordability goals.
Density Bonuses
South Regional Activity Center
Applicable Zoning Districts: South Regional Activity Center-South Andrews East (SRAC-SAe) and South Regional Activity Center-South Andrews West (SRAC-SAw)
Tier 1 Incentives & Requirements
Incentives
- Expedited Review: Site Plan Level II (DRC), with City Commission Request for Review
- 100% density increase: Increase from 50 dwelling units per acre to 100 dwelling units per acre.
- Access to Height Bonus
Requirements
Affordable Housing Ordinance(PDF, 3MB)
Tier 2 Incentives & Requirements
Incentives
- Expedited Review: Site Plan Level II (DRC), with City Commission Request for Review
- Up to a 200% density Increase: two additional increments of 50 dwelling units per acre, up to 200 dwelling units per acre.
- Access to Height Bonus
Requirements
Incentive Area Map
(PDF, 2MB)
Affordable Housing Ordinance(PDF, 3MB)
Uptown Urban Village Zoning Districts
Applicable Zoning Districts: Uptown Urban Village-Northeast (UUV - NE), Uptown Urban Village-Northwest (UUV - NW), Uptown Urban Village-Southeast (UUV - SE), Uptown Urban Village-Southwest (UUV - SW), and Uptown Urban Village-Southcentral (UUV - SC)
Incentives & Requirements
Incentives
- Expedited Review: Site Plan Level II (DRC), with City Commission Request for Review.
- 100% Density Increase: Increase from 50 dwelling units per acre to 100 dwelling units per acre.
Requirements
Affordable Housing Ordinance(PDF, 3MB)
Affordable Housing Units & Bonus Flexibility Units
Applicable Parcels: Properties with a Future Land Use Designation of Residential, Commercial, Employment Center, Community Facility, and Regional Activity Center (RAC).
Incentives & Requirements
Affordable Housing Units
Incentives
- 100% density increase of the underlying Future Land Uses permitted density, not to exceed 50 dwelling units per acre for parcels with a Future Land Use of Residential, 100 dwelling units per acre for nonresidential Future Land Use designated parcels, and no density limitation for parcels with Future Land Use of RAC.
- Expedited Review: Site Plan Level II (DRC)
Requirements
- Additional units over the underlying permitted density shall be restricted to Affordable Housing Units, in accordance with the following income categories: 120%, 80%, and 50% of the MFI.
- 30 year deed restriction
Bonus Flexibility Units
Incentives
- 100% density increase of the underlying Future Land Uses permitted density, not to exceed 50 dwelling units per acre for parcels with a Future Land Use of Residential, 100 dwelling units per acre for nonresidential Future Land Use designated parcels, and no density limitation for parcels with Future Land Use of RAC.
Requirements
- Bonus Flexibility Units are distributed as follows:
- 120% of MFI: 1 Affordable Housing Unit = 6 Market Rate Units
- 80% of MFI: 1 Affordable Housing Unit = 9 Market Rate Units
- 50% of MFI: 1 Affordable Housing Unit = 19 Market Rate Units
- Site Plan Level III (PZB)
- 30 year deed restriction
ULDR Section 47-28.3.F
Height Bonuses
South Regional Activity Center
Tier 1 Incentives & Requirements
Applicable Zoning Districts: South Regional Activity Center-South Andrews East (SRAC-SAe) and South Regional Activity Center-South Andrews West (SRAC-SAw)
Incentives
- Expedited Review: Site Plan Level II (DRC), with City Commission Request for Review for developments seeking a building height between 110 to 150 feet.
- Access to Density Bonus
Requirements
Incentive Area Map
(PDF, 2MB)
Affordable Housing Ordinance(PDF, 3MB)
Tier 2 Incentives & Requirements
Applicable Zoning Districts: South Regional Activity Center-South Andrews East (SRAC-SAe) and South Regional Activity Center-South Andrews West (SRAC-SAw) located north of SE/SW 18th Court.
Incentives
- Expedited Review: Site Plan Level II (DRC), with City Commission Request for Review
- Height Bonus: Increased height from 150 to 200 feet in height.
- Access to Density Bonus
Requirements
Incentive Area Map
(PDF, 2MB)
Affordable Housing Ordinance(PDF, 3MB)
Northwest Regional Activity Center
Applicable zoning districts: Northwest Regional Activity Center-Mixed Use East (NWRAC-MUe) and Northwest Regional Activity Center-Mixed Use West (NWRAC-MUw).
Incentives & Requirements
NWRAC-MUe
Incentives
- Height Bonus: Increased height from 65 to 110 feet in height.
- Expedited Review: Site Plan Level II (DRC), with City Commission Request for Review
NWRAC-MUw
Incentives
- Height Bonus: Increased height from 45 to 65 feet in height.
- Expedited Review: Site Plan Level II (DRC), with City Commission Request for Review
Requirements for NWRAC-MUe and NWRAC-MUw
Affordable Housing Ordinance(PDF, 3MB)
Broward County Unit Allocation
Applicable zoning districts: parcels with a Future Land Use designation of Commercial, Employment Center, Industrial or Office Park future fronting with direct access on a roadway classified as a State Road or County Arterial, per the Broward Highway Functional Classification Map, as well as parcels with a Future Land Use of Downtown Regional Activity Center (RAC), Northwest RAC, or South Andrews RAC.
Incentives & Requirements
Incentives
- Access to bonus residential units on primary corridors and RAC’s that does not rely on the availability of units within the Residential Flexibility Pool and Residential RAC Pool of housing units.
- Bonus units are distributed as follows:
- 120% of MFI: 1 Affordable Housing Unit = 6 Market Rate Units
- 80% of MFI: 1 Affordable Housing Unit = 9 Market Rate Units
- 50% of MFI: 1 Affordable Housing Unit = 19 Market Rate Units
- Studios, or efficiency housing units, no greater than 500 square feet in size or less than 400 square feet, may be counted by the local government as 0.5 dwelling units for residential density purposes. No more than 50% of a development can consist of studio or efficiency housing units.
- Expedited Review: Site Plan Level II (DRC), with City Commission Request for Review
Requirements
- Office and commercial uses may be configured in a vertical or horizontal development pattern.
- Affordable housing units cannot be more than ten percent (10%) smaller than the average square footage of the corresponding market rate unit type, i.e., one bedroom, two bedroom, etc.
- At least 50% of the ground floor of any portion of a building or development, excluding ingress and egress, facing a Qualified Road shall provide office and/or commercial uses.
- Portions of a development not facing a Qualified Road within an RAC is not required, but encouraged, to provide for office and/or commercial uses.
- On parcels greater than five (5) acres, a minimum of 10% of the gross floor area, excluding parking garages, must be reserved or utilized for office and/or commercial uses not ancillary to the residential units.
- 30-year deed restriction
- Optional payment in lieu of affordable housing development fee of $10,000 per unit to be applied to every unit within a development project, both affordable and market rate. The fee increases 3% percent annually from the date of policy adoption in 2023.
- Submission of Affordable Housing Development Plan(PDF, 272KB)
- Affordable Housing Development Agreement(DOCX, 238KB)
- Affordable Housing Annual Affidavit(PDF, 531KB)
Affordable Housing Ordinance(PDF, 3MB)
Amendment to Affordable Housing Ordinance(PDF, 1MB)
Parking Reductions
- Citywide incentive reducing parking requirements to one parking space per affordable housing unit.
- Multifamily Developments are eligible for a Site Plan Level I (Administrative) parking reduction, contingent upon 10% of units within a development being set aside as affordable, for no less than 30 years, at or below 120% of the MFI.
- Affordable Housing Ordinance(PDF, 3MB)
Live Local Act
The Live Local Act provides for administrative approval of residential and mixed-use multifamily developments in which at least 40% of the residential units are affordable for a period of at least 30 years, as defined in Florida Statutes (Section 166.04151(7)). The Live Local Act provides opportunities to apply use, height, density, and area specific parking reduction incentives, through an administrative review process for qualifying developments that include affordable housing units proposed in commercial, industrial, and mixed-use zoning districts. The following documents are a summary of the Live Local Act and the submission and review procedure for development permits.
Expedited Review
Affordable housing projects meeting ULDR requirements are provided with an expedited review process, either through an alternative development review procedure or permit review process. Additionally, applicants are provided the following assistance from Staff:
- Identify zoning regulations applicable to the proposed development.
- Oversight of the development will be conducted from application to certificate of occupancy.
- Assist the applicant with any incomplete portions of the development application.
- Where applicable, identify resources, which may assist the applicant in meeting the requirements for development permit approval.