DBCC Supports Affordable Housing Complex In Midtown

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Daytona Beach, FL - The Daytona Beach City Commission is giving its support to an 82-unit, four-story affordable apartment complex that will be built on Dr. M.L.K. Jr., Boulevard, north of Orange Avenue. The vote was split, 4-3.

Commissioner Paula Reed represents that area and has been fighting for the project, saying that Midtown has been overlooked for a long time. She said that an affordable housing project is a chance to jump-start redevelopment in the area.

Ken Bowron, a representative of developer Beneficial Communities Partners told Commissioners that the project will consist of a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments. It will be four stories with elevators. Apartments will be available for individuals and families who make between 40 and 60 percent of the area's annual median income. This means rents will range from about $400 to $800 per month.

Many citizens and representatives of local agencies, including the Daytona Beach Housing Authority and the Volusia County-Daytona Beach Chapter of the NAACP, spoke in favor of the Midtown development. NAACP President Cynthia Slater said her organization strongly supports the project. She said that research shows that the U.S. has a shortage of 7.2 million rental homes affordable and available to extremely low-income renters and they spend more than half of their income on rent.

The city's support comes with a loan of $425,625 to Beneficial Communities Partners. Support from the city will help them in the competition to get tax credits of more than $15 million. The company will find out in March if it's been selected for the credits.

The developer of the other project, an 80-unit, seven-story apartment building for senior citizens to be located on the southwest corner of North Beach Street and Madison Avenue, has been trying for the past few years to get tax credits of a Daytona project. American Residential Communities is looking for $16 million in credits for its 18-million plan.

City Commissioners also approved the millage rate of $5.85 for every $1,000 of taxable value and the budget of $262,152,050 for the fiscal year October 1, 2019, to September 30, 2020.