County Owned Land for the Development of Affordable Housing

The County of Volusia is seeking to donate county-owned land to a non-profit organization. In exchange for the land, the applicant/developer shall construct new affordable housing units and shall provide documentation of occupancy within (48) months of the date of the execution of a written agreement in a form provided by the County. All units developed on the county-owned land donated as a result of this RFP must be rented or sold to households at or below 120% of the area median income (AMI) based on the Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC) State Housing Initiative Program (SHIP) income limits that are in effect at the time of the lease or sale, current income limits are shown in Attachment A for reference. The goal of this RFP is to create units that benefit a variety of income levels at or below 120% AMI, but at least 51% of the units must benefit those that are at or below 80% AMI.

If rental units are constructed, the rent charged must comply with FHFC's SHIP rent limits in effective at the time of the lease, current limits are shown in Attachment A. Households who receive Section 8 assistance will be eligible to apply for developed rental units. If the affordable housing units are sold, the purchase price may not exceed the Volusia County's SHIP maximum sales price in effect at the time of sale. Households buying a unit must have a front-end ratio between 22%-30%. An exception may be made for the front-end ratio to not exceed 35%, if permitted and documented by the first mortgage(s) holder(s), while the back-end ratio cannot exceed 50%.

The affordable housing project will be subject to continuing affordability restrictions through an established "period of affordability" during which the property must remain affordable for a period of 50 years (i.e., income and rents must be restricted according to published SHIP limits) as defined by the program. The affordability restrictions will be enforced through a written agreement and a recorded declaration of covenants and restrictions.

The awarded non-profit organization will be responsible for ensuring the following during the construction:

1. Awarded land is used to develop affordable housing for the purpose of creating additional units for income eligible households.
2. All applicable state and local codes, ordinances, and zoning requirements are met.
3. All required permits are obtained for the project.
4. Affordable housing units developed must meet the most recent edition of the Florida Building Code and any local residential and building codes, as applicable.
5. Compliance with state and local requirements or disaster mitigation standards is met.
6. Compliance with County of Volusia policies and all applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes and ordinances regarding nondiscrimination in the rental, sale and occupancy of the units is met.
7. The County encourages construction and rehabilitation methods and materials that promote energy efficiency and low-cost utilities for affordable housing units.
8. Information will be collected and reported to the Community Assistance Division about the timeline, status, and projections of the development of units on a periodic basis, as stated in the written agreement.