Affordable Housing Fee Reduction Program

The City of Kissimmee offers an Affordable Housing Fee program to any new owner-occupied or rental development which qualifies as affordable housing. This also includes structures that are being converted from a non-residential use into new affordable multi-family use.  In order to qualify as affordable housing, a development must consist of at least twenty percent (20%) of the units that are set aside and meet the definition of affordable housing as defined in Chapter 420 of the Florida Statutes.  In Chapter 420, affordable means that monthly rent or monthly mortgage payments, including taxes and insurance, do not exceed 30 percent of that amount which represents the percentage of the median adjusted gross income for households who are Extremely Low, Very Low Income, Low, and Moderate Income.  

The following City fees may be eligible for reduction as part of this program:

• Mobility Fees
• Park & Recreation Impact Fees
• Development Review Fees
• Police and Fire Impact Fees

Fees charged by outside agencies, such as Toho Water Authority Sewer and Water Impact fees, Kissimmee Utility Authority Line Extension Fees and the Osceola County School District Educational Impact Fees are not eligible under this program. The City recommends you contact those agencies directly for assistance.   

No project is guaranteed full or partial benefits. Benefits are granted based on availability of funds, project specifications, percentage of affordable housing units, and the project’s ability to further the City’s long-term vision for affordable housing. 

Definition of Income Levels:  

Extremely Low Income Persons: one or more natural persons or a family whose total annual household income does not exceed 30 percent of the median annual adjusted gross income for households within the metropolitan statistical area covering Osceola County as reported by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Very Low Income Persons: one or more natural persons or a family whose total annual household income does not exceed 50 percent of the median annual adjusted gross income for households within the metropolitan statistical area covering Osceola County as reported by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Low Income Persons: one or more natural persons or a family whose total annual household income does not exceed 80 percent of the median annual adjusted gross income for households within the metropolitan statistical area covering Osceola County as reported by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Moderate Income Persons: means one or more natural persons or a family whose total annual household income does not exceed 120 percent of the median annual adjusted gross income for households within the metropolitan statistical area covering Osceola County as reported by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Incentives

Incentives when available will be offered for the qualifying units at the sole discretion of the City Manager or their designee in the form of reimbursements, waivers, and/or deferrals depending on the project’s financial needs and proposed affordability period.  

Process:

Any person seeking participation in the Affordable Housing Fee Program must:

1. File an Affordable Housing Incentive Application during the development process review. The application shall contain the following:
   1. The name and address of the Owner;
   2. The legal description of the property;
   3. The proposed selling price or the proposed rental price, as applicable;
   4. Evidence that the Project shall be occupied by low income households or very low income eligible households; and
   5. Evidence that the Project is funded by a governmental affordable housing program from the Florida Housing Finance Corporation or another organization that provides financing for housing development.
   6. The type of benefit requested;
   7. The amount of benefit being requested based on benefit limits above. 

       

2. For the Project to participate in the Affordable Housing Fee Program, it must meet all of the restrictions as provided herein and these restrictions must continue for a minimum of 15 years from the date of issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy or Completion depending on the amount of assistance provided and the income levels accommodated.  The terms, restrictions and conditions of the City’s incentives will be recorded in the form of a Mortgage and/or Restrictive Covenant between the City and the Owner. 

1. In the event the Project fails to meet the restrictions of Affordable Housing as provided for a minimum period of 15 years following the issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy or Completion such that the Property no longer qualifies as Affordable Housing and is no longer occupied by Low Income Persons or Very Low Income Persons, the fees in effect at the time of the change in circumstances shall be immediately due.