Housing Affordability

The City of Sarasota recognizes housing affordability as a priority and employs various approaches to serve different populations in our community. These strategies include:

• Incentivizing an environment for hospitable housing that provides a diversity in housing types and affordability levels through land use policies, typically targeting low and moderate-income households and attainable housing.
• Supporting local non-profits in developing affordable and attainable housing for the elderly, individuals with special needs, those with incomes ranging from moderate to extremely low, as well as workforce housing.
• Forming a cooperative effort with Sarasota County through the Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD), which serves residents throughout Sarasota County, including the cities of Sarasota, Venice, and North Port. The OHCD administers state and federal funds for a variety of housing programs, such as projects involving federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. Please visit the OHCD webpage for more information about the variety of housing programs and resources available by clicking here.
• Supporting the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) in the regular review and recommendation of local policies and actions to further the development of affordable housing. The 2022 AHAC recommendations can be found on the Office of Housing and Community Development page.

The Sarasota City Commission approved a Comprehensive Plan Amendment (22-PA-04) on November 7th, 2022 to increase the opportunity to provide attainable housing along commercial corridors and centers and within the downtown by providing a density incentive to developers when attainable housing is provided on-site. This initiative is consistent with the Sarasota Transportation Master Plan (Sarasota in Motion) and promotes transit-oriented development that creates more vibrant, livable, and sustainable communities. City staff will carry out a public outreach process to implement the Comprehensive Plan Amendment, through a Zoning Text Amendment that will provide public input for regulations and details for the density bonus incentive and required attainable housing.

The adopted Comprehensive Plan Amendment provided the opportunity for a Downtown Attainable Housing Density Bonus Program as well as the implementation of new Urban Mixed-Use zone districts and the Commercial Corridors and Centers Attainable Housing Density Bonus Program along major commercial roads and commercial centers within the city (Fruitville Road, US 301, US 41).

Learn more about attainable housing by viewing the Attainable Housing Infographic(PDF, 522KB).

Tools in Our Toolbox

Many of the City of Sarasota's current strategies in expanding housing affordability align with the recommendations and guidelines provided by The Florida Housing Coalition's November 2018 "Blueprint for Workforce Housing: An Action Plan for the County & City of Sarasota(PDF, 981KB)."

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)(PDF, 165KB) allowed citywide (excluding barrier islands).
• Density Bonuses for attainable housing (Rosemary Residential Overlay District, Residential Multiple Family-6 and -7 zone districts).
• Reduced parking requirements for attainable housing citywide (0.5 space per dwelling unit).
• Expedited review for attainable housing projects.
• Multimodal Transportation Impact Fees discount/deferral for attainable housing projects.
• Inventory of locally owned surplus public lands suitable for attainable housing.
• Implement workforce housing overlay district ("Missing Middle" Overlay District).
• Continuous funding for affordable housing as part of the Penny IV surtax renewal.

Affordable Housing Resources

Resources administered by the Sarasota Housing Authority & Sarasota Housing Funding Corporation

• Public Housing: 190 (mostly below 30% of AMI, but can be up to 80% AMI).
• Project Based Rental Assistance (Section 8): 175 (up to 80% AMI).
• Tenant Based Rental Assistance (Section 8 vouchers): 2,155 (75% must be at or below 30% AMI).
• Affordable Apartments: 351 (with income limits of 50%, 60%, and 80% of AMI).

Project Spotlight

Watch the video below to see an overview of a recently completed project, Amaryllis Park Place.