A proposal by Port Charlotte Republican Rep. Danny Nix to ease local zoning rules to spur construction of smaller, more affordable homes has cleared its first House Committee.
The House Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee advanced HB 1143, titled the “Florida Starter Homes Act,” on a 14-2 vote following debate over local control, infrastructure capacity and housing affordability.
HB 1143 would bar local governments from requiring minimum lot sizes larger than 1,200 square feet for residential properties connected to public water and sewer, while also limiting their ability to impose stricter setback, height, density and parking requirements.
Under the proposal, local governments also would face accelerated timelines for reviewing development permit applications, with some applications deemed approved if officials fail to act within specified time frames.
Nix told Committee members Thursday the legislation is designed to increase the supply of entry-level housing by allowing developers to build smaller and more affordable homes on smaller properties. He said the bill would apply in counties with at least 500 residents per square mile, of which there are currently 16.
“Last year, only 20% of Florida’s working-class households could afford to buy a starter home,” Nix said. “In 2012, that was 74% who could. Land basis cost, as a Realtor I know, is what creates a divide and a gap that comes into these properties.”
Avery Bernstein, a 21-year-old college student from Gainesville who said he helped draft the measure, said minimum lot size requirements often make smaller homes effectively illegal. Bernstein pointed to Houston’s minimum lot size reforms as a model, saying similar policies in Texas have resulted in thousands of smaller, more affordable homes being built.
“When a developer buys a large and expensive lot, they’re only going to build a large and expensive home the vast majority of the time,” Bernstein said. “Since starter homes need a smaller lot to be developed, many local governments are actually making these starter homes illegal.”
The Florida League of Cities opposed the proposal, warning the bill could override local comprehensive plans and strain infrastructure. Florida League of Cities Deputy General Counsel Rebecca O’Hara said the measure could allow dense development in areas without adequate planning safeguards and lacks assurances that homes built would be affordable.
“What will result from this is premature development of land at the edges of towns subsidized by existing taxpayers because concurrency … is notably absent from this bill,” O’Hara said. “Water and sewer connections may be there for a lot today, but adding eight homes to that same lot and doing that multiple times will quickly overwhelm existing water and sewer capacity because that is not what has been planned for.”
Orlando Democratic Rep. Rita Harris raised concerns that the bill could unintentionally spur growth in areas not equipped to handle it, particularly in counties with residents who vocally defend established rural boundaries. Still, she voted to advance the measure, saying she expects continued work with local governments as it moves forward.
“In my county, Orange County, we have a rural boundary,” Harris said. “People are very, very protective of that rural boundary. So I would like to see some more protections around those counties that have that in statute or ordinances around it to ensure that there will not be growth in those spaces because the communities have worked really hard to ensure that those areas stay pristine.”
Nix acknowledged that the bill remains a work in progress, but said it would help address Florida’s affordable housing crisis if approved.
“This bill has come a long way from where it was at, but the bill is still not perfect, we get that,” he said. “We are definitely looking forward to having conversations to see the direction that’s going to put this in a posture that’s really good for Floridians.”
HB 1143 now heads to the Housing, Agriculture & Tourism Subcommittee for its second of three Committee stops. A comparable bill (SB 948) filed by Ocala Republican Sen. Stan McClain has cleared its first Senate Committee. If approved by the Legislature and signed by the Governor, the legislation would take effect on July 1.
–Jesse Mendoza, Florida Politics
Concerned Land owner says
These tiny lots even with smaller houses leave no room to raise kids except in the street or in front of the TV. They play video games or sit in a corner on a phone. No where to go outside and play, throw a ball, have a pool….its sickening. Guess once they quit cramming the homes next to each other the only other way is on top for real! Soon our rivers will just be waste management carrying the sh*t out into the ocean.
K says
No, but it’d give all us childfree ppl a place to live that doesn’t have elephants stomping above us or fire alarm evacuations at 1am due to burnt popcorn. I would of loved to have a tiny home that didn’t dictate the size or breed of dog I’m allowed. Or what kinds of animals I’d own.
And often neighbourhoods still have parks and playgrounds for children to play in. That is if ppl would let them play outside, as many parents are having to helicopter over their children else they get a CPS call.
Greg says
Unreal? Build them so close that a mower won’t fit between the houses.
Laurel says
Yet another Republican attempt to backdoor killing Home Rule.
James says
I’m for smaller houses, but not necessarily smaller lot sizes.
Just my opinion.
Skibum says
Republi-cons should just cut to the chase and implement the Flori-DUH Trailer Park Affordability Bill, admitting once and for all that under such corrupt and mismanaged governance that most people cannot even afford a home any longer. But the idiots in Tallahassee will gladly guide you to a postage stamp size piece of dirt so you can plant a single-wide trailer down with enough room in the gravel driveway to park a gold cart. But you can proudly proclaim your own piece of dirt in the “free state of FL” LOL!
Skibum says
Correction on my typo… golf cart
Just wondering says
Smaller properties and tinnier houses unbelievable pretty soon we will look like the high rises in the third world countries living on top of each other.
tulip says
They could make the lots 5000 sq ft which is about half the size of the standard lots now. That way there would be enough outdoor space for the kids and the house could now be 12 to 1300 sq ft instead of under a thousand. 1200 sq ft is almost impossible to fit a house and garage.
JimboXYZ says
Why do the kids need to play in the yard for that smaller sized lot ? We’ve built so many acres of playgrounds & parks that the kids don’t go there & use them anyway. Wait until the ball starts o bounce off your HVAC, Windows, garage door to damage the property they don’t live in. rent at best. Then there’s climbing in the trees of a neighbor’s property & destroying those limbs. Some don’t grasp the concept of property lines, that’s the parent(s), how can one expect the children to grasp that concept. And they will destroy every property except for where they live. Ask me how I know ? When they do destroy the property they rent, they’ll be evicted for not paying their rent, leave the property distressed, Ask me how I know ?
The dilemma is one can go over to Buddy Taylor & on the backside of that school is a field that rarely & never is used. Instead the kids feel compelled to move over to the duplex rental unit next to them and bounce their ball off that building, walls,windows, HVAC , etc.. Parents empower it as “kids are just playing”, yet mommy & daddy got no money for the broken windows, to repaint that side of a house for the dirty ball markings. At what point is that nothing more than vandalism for a child’s endless energy release. I can’t count the rental units with dented garage doors that are never paid for & repaired for the balls that hit them. Ever price out a repair to a damaged HVAC unit ? We can go to Holland Park and observe the fields that aren’t being used. Go over to Indian Trails, same theme. Fields for kids to play on where their activities are harmless play. I get it, it’s more convenient to play in front of their rental. But by the same token it’s costlier to the victim that suffers property damages. In some cases some fields are overutilized to become a public nuisance ?
I don’t know what the solution is, but this is sheer stupidity to relax the 1,200 SQ FT lot. The 1,200 SQ FT is necessary as a minimum for the 400 SQ FT small houses. Those will be overutilized for occupancy. 400 SQ FT is a 1 BR/1 BA apartment at best really. 10×10 bedroom ? I had a 1/1 apartment in Miami that was 750 SQ FT. 450-600 SQ FT is more like a studio. Wait until the rent on that approaches $ 3K/month like NYC or CA, USA. And they will raise the pricing like that. Even the tiny houses are unaffordable housing.
https://dreamhomeplans.com/collections/house-plans-200-to-400
Land of no turn signals says says
It’s called Queens or now
Orlando.