Housing affordability summit set for Jan. 30
The Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County (EDC) is convening a summit on the Future of Housing Affordability January 30 in Port St. Lucie.
St. Lucie County ranked first in Florida and third in the U.S. for the worst decline in housing affordability in ATTOM Data Solutions’ first quarter 2024 analysis. The cost of home ownership consumed 52% of household wages versus a historical average of 29%, according to the study.
With one-bedroom median rents in the county at $1,393, a worker would need to earn $26.83 per hour for this rent to be considered affordable, yet eight of 10 most common occupations in the county pay significantly less, cited a housing needs assessment completed for St. Lucie County and the cities of Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce in 2024.
The summit will address these issues and more. Keynote remarks from Keith Richard, PhD, of the Florida Chamber Foundation will focus on housing as economic development, panels will discuss barriers to affordability and housing innovations. Mitch Rosenstein of Green Mills Group will share his company’s success with the building of workforce housing projects.
In addition to Richard and Rosenstein, summit speakers include Ashon Nesbitt of the Florida Housing Coalition, St. Lucie County Commission Chair Jamie Fowler, Port St. Lucie Mayor Shannon Martin, Fort Pierce Mayor Linda Hudson, Jack Weir of Eastwind Development, Tony Palumbo of Holiday Builders, Tim Hernandez of New Urban Communities, Lee Dobbins of Dean Mead, and Brian Nolan of Lucido & Associates.
State Representatives Dana Trabulsy and Toby Overdorf will also address the summit attendees if they are not in session in Tallahassee.
“Not long ago, St. Lucie County was a destination for people seeking an affordable and desirable place to live but, over the past few years, rising home prices and rents have priced out many, particularly our county’s essential workers,” said EDC President Pete Tesch. “The EDC board of directors is acutely aware that a trained, engaged and diverse workforce is essential to long-term economic success so we are bringing together community policy makers, business leaders, non-profits, developers and thought leaders to begin to advance this vitally important effort.”
Registration is open until January 24 at https://youredc.com/calendar/details/edc-Housing-Summit. The summit will be held at MIDFLORIDA Event Center in Port St. Lucie, January 30 from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The registration fee of $75 includes breakfast and lunch.
About the Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County
The Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County (EDC) is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting economic vitality in St. Lucie County through the attraction, retention and expansion of businesses in the community. The EDC works in partnership with local governments and the private sector to advance its goals of creating more and better-paying jobs for residents, broadening the tax base and improving St. Lucie County’s economic quality of life. Contact the EDC at 772.324.2014, contact@youredc.com or www.youredc.com.
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