Broward planner outlines comprehensive plan update, urges council input on housing types and timeline

Heather Knif, planning section supervisor for the housing and urban planning division, presented the countys comprehensive plan update and the housing element during the Broward Housing Council meeting.

Knif described the plans coverage — future land use for unincorporated areas (including the Broward Municipal Services District), transportation, Port Everglades, water, recreation and housing — and said the plan ties goals, objectives and policies to supporting documents and data analysis. She outlined state requirements under Chapter 163, Florida Statutes, and said the county aims to adopt amendments on or about May 5, 2027, ahead of the statutory evaluation and appraisal report deadline.

The presentation emphasized the housing elementrequirements: providing adequate sites for both market-rate and affordable housing, preserving existing affordable units, addressing mobile homes and group homes, and planning for special-needs and senior housing. Knif said staff will use the plan to "balance the needs of the community" including water, transportation and parks while prioritizing housing access.

Council members and attendees then discussed specific unit types and long-term outcomes. Tanisha Taylor urged the council to prioritize three-bedroom units and a broader mix of unit sizes, saying two-bedroom units have contributed to household doubling-up. "We should be looking at projects that offer three bedrooms," Taylor said. Board members also raised mixed-use projects, modular/prefabricated housing and condo conversions as potential tools to increase ownership opportunities.

Staff advised that regulatory limits constrain the countys ability to require a future conversion from rental to ownership. Still, staff said gap financing and program conditions on county-owned land can be designed to favor homeownership objectives in specific projects. Heather asked the council to provide priorities and locations (near transit, schools and parks were suggested) that staff should evaluate.

The session closed with staff noting next steps: draft amendments and supporting documents will be circulated for council review ahead of the stated adoption timeline.