Residents of Concha Drive, Adams Street, and Acorn Terrace voiced concerns at the last City Council meeting about the proposed development of nearby vacant lots being turned into Habitat for Humanity homes.
Recognizing the challenges city employees face in today’s housing market, especially with skyrocketing rent prices, the city has partnered with Indian River Habitat for Humanity. By donating 12 acres of land, the city hopes to provide affordable housing opportunities, particularly for working-class families, with city employees given priority.
However, homeowners who live on these parcels voiced their concerns. They told Sebastian Daily about the lack of communication and transparency surrounding the Habitat for Humanity development and expressed worries about potential impacts on property values.
The lots are owned by the City of Sebastian and were acquired when General Development Corporation filed for bankruptcy in 1990. The company was one of Florida’s largest home builders, and its bankruptcy was considered one of the most complicated in the state’s history.
Mayor Bob McPartlan stated that the city’s donation of the lots to Habitat for Humanity is an effort to address the need for affordable housing in Sebastian. The new homes will be built for working-class individuals, including teachers and police officers. He emphasized that these homes are not being given away.
“This is not low-income housing or duplexes. They will be single-family homes that have been earned by those families through their sweat equity and mortgage payments,” McPartlan told Sebastian Daily.
Although there were several City Council meetings addressing the Habitat for Humanity project, local homeowners say they were not properly notified and have expressed concern over the lack of communication and transparency.
Homeowners are also worried that the project may decrease their property values. Other homeowners claim the lots were supposed to be a park or preserve. However, this information is inaccurate, according to McPartlan.
Habitat for Humanity has been building homes in Indian River County for 34 years. They say there’s a massive problem with affordable housing now. Twenty or thirty years ago, a typical home cost about 2.5 times the average income. Today, it’s six or seven times more.
Trevor Loomis, CEO of Indian River Habitat for Humanity, spoke at the last city council meeting. He clarified that the donated land will be used to build low-density single-family homes, not multi-family units like duplexes, triplexes, or apartments.
“I can assure you that what we are talking about is building homes that will appraise for what we expect more than $300,000 a piece,” Loomis said.
Habitat for Humanity builds homes and sells them to working families. The homes are sold at appraised value, and the families pay for them over 30 years with a low-interest loan. The city’s land donation also helps keep home costs down.
The project is a long-term endeavor. Zoning changes are necessary, and the city is already discussing a workshop. It could still take years before the first home is built.
Teachers, nurses, first responders, and a Publix employee who’s been working for the store for 25 years have purchased homes with Habitat for Humanity over the last year in the county.
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