CDC outlines pipeline: more than 100 units in development, homebuyer education reaches 1,000+ residents

The Riviera Beach Community Development Corporation told the CRA board on Aug. 27 that it has an active pipeline of housing projects and long-running homebuyer education programs. In a presentation to the Community Redevelopment Agency, CDC representatives said the organization has over 100 units in development across several projects and has run 30 homebuyer-class series over nine years, graduating more than 1,000 residents from Riviera Beach and Palm Beach County.

"We have over 100 units in development," the CDC executive said while describing projects at different stages of construction and permitting. The CDC also said its infill program is under way, with permitting complete for the first two-story home and contracts for additional lots; the CDC uses a revolving line of credit (reported as about $500,000) to finance sequential construction rather than building all units simultaneously.

Board members pressed the CDC for metrics on how many purchasers are actual Riviera Beach residents and for demographic breakdowns; CDC staff said they would provide updated counts and confirmed targeted outreach to teachers, police and other local employees. Commissioners also discussed transitional housing needs and encouraged the CDC to explore that work in future programs.

CDC board members highlighted partnerships with Community Partners of South Florida and the county and said CDC programs had leveraged federal, county and private funds for both the Villas projects and scattered-site infill development. The CRA and CDC agreed to document the division of duties between disbursement (handled by the CRA) and program delivery (handled by the CDC).