Key West Mayor Sam Kaufman will host a public town hall meeting on the challenges of affordable housing on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 5:30 p.m. at city hall, 1300 White St.
The meeting will include housing professionals, city officials, community stakeholders and residents to share information, answer questions and discuss ideas for creating and preserving affordable housing in Key West.
Participants will include Randy Sterling, director of the Key West Housing Authority; Tina Burns, Key West’s community development program manager; Scott Pridgen, executive director of Keys Health + Housing (formerly AH Monroe); city management and other housing stakeholders.
“Affordable housing affects nearly every part of our community, from working families and seniors to our local businesses and the people who keep Key West running,” Mayor Kaufman said. “We need to bring people together, share information, listen to residents and work toward practical solutions. That’s why I’m hosting this town hall.”
Topics for discussion will include:
- Existing affordable and workforce housing programs, including rental and homeownership assistance.
- Housing availability, eligibility requirements and resources for residents.
- Opportunities to preserve existing affordable housing and encourage new housing.
- The city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund and other potential funding sources.
- Partnerships among the city, housing authority, nonprofit organizations and private property owners.
- Housing priorities in the city’s recently adopted Strategic Plan and the steps needed to move them forward.
The meeting will also include a discussion of the city’s Housing Needs Assessment and Housing Action Plan, along with ideas for addressing housing needs now and in the future.
“I want this to be an open and productive conversation,” Kaufman added. “Residents deserve to know what programs are available, what challenges we face and what more we can do. Just as importantly, I want to hear their questions, concerns and ideas. We need to move beyond talking about affordable housing and focus on making progress.”
The town hall is open to the public. Residents, employees, employers, housing advocates, property owners and all interested community members are encouraged to attend.
More information is available from the mayor’s office at 305-809-3844 or via email to mayor@cityofkeywest-fl.gov.
