Broward County commissioners were deadlocked Tuesday night how to move forward on a plan to build a community of transitionary homes for the homeless.
“We will go back to the drawing board,” said Mayor Nan Rich. “We can’t seem to get it done here.”
The county initially singled out a 42-acre site of six parcels as the future site for a homeless community of 100 tiny homes.
The cost wasn’t set, but one estimate put it possibly coming in at $14 million. The intent is for the homeless to use the homes as an emergency location before moving to a more permanent residence.
But many questions remain. “This is not fully cooked,” said Commissioner Robert McKinzie. “We’re rushing to do something. … How do we sustain this?”
And the homes would be like “brand-new, like studio apartments,” said Commissioner Michael Udine, saying some homeless won’t want to leave.
The property most likely to be chosen in a future vote is in Dania Beach and unincorporated Broward that originally were collected for possible expansion by the airport and seaport.
The properties are just south of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The land was purchased from the family of E. Clay Shaw Jr., a former Fort Lauderdale mayor and Republican congressman, and the land is referred to as “Shaw Properties.”
But some county commissioners said they had a hard time with the cost, which could be in the range of $140,000 a home when factored in with land preparation.
“I’m agreeing with the concept we need to be paying for more housing,” Commissioner Steve Geller said. “I’m not sure these Pallet shelters are cost effective.”
The county would use tiny fiberglass shelters, which are intended to be transitional, temporary homes with just enough room to sleep and use the bathroom. The county often refers to these easy-to-build homes as “Pallet shelters” even though no vendor has yet been chosen. There is a well-known supplier, Pallet, based in Everett, Washington, which has helped build such villages for the homeless in various locations across the U.S.
At one point during Tuesday’s meeting, officials discussed whether the county would see a savings by buying from a different provider instead of from Pallet, or going with an entirely different plan altogether.
The homes for single homes likely would be 120 square feet, with a place for a bed and a desk and bathroom. Discussed were varying scenarios with varying costs. In one scenario, the estimate for construction was about $43,850 per home.
There will be communal dining and laundry.
Larger homes for families, at times headed by single parents, would be 425 square feet. Those homes could cost $50,000 each.
County leaders said their intent is for the homes to make a dent in the county’s homeless population, estimated to be about 8,200 people.
Stays will average 90 days as “folks cycle … and graduate to a permanent residence,” said Broward’s Deputy County Administrator Kimm Campbell.
Rich said it was important that the homeless have a “humane” place to go. “We have to have a place to put homeless people,” she said. “There’s only a few pieces of land available.”
This won’t happen overnight: Zoning and site work is needed, including possible muck removal, and sewer and electrical work.
“We can’t just snap our fingers and put down Pallet shelters on a piece of property,” said County Administrator Monica Cepero.
The county had been considering six locations as potential sites to consider for easy-to-build temporary homes for the homeless, including one near Meadowbrook Elementary, which Geller predicted would “drive people absolutely crazy.”
But during Tuesday’s meeting, officials narrowed the recommended offerings down to two of those six locations, including the land referred to as the “Shaw Properties.”
The county has already set aside $750,000 for this new type of housing. Of that, $500,000 would be an annual recurring expense for the operational fees; $250,000 would be to construct the homes. But Rich has referred to the plan as an initial step toward addressing homelessness that would evolve. Her point: Something needs to be done, and she’s tried to instill a sense of urgency. In two months, a new state law begins letting the public sue local governments if they don’t think enough is being done to get the homeless off the streets.
The plan would evolved with many community partners. County officials said they envision the United Way of Broward County to serve as a project partner and possibly run the program, including providing communal meals.
On Tuesday, Cepero said the cost for the project could balloon to about $14 million, including construction and land preparation, and that money could come out of reserves.
In September, the county estimated reserves in all categories countywide is $240.4 million, up by $32 million from last year.
The Pallet shelter proposal was received by some commissioners as a large expense. Udine was outspoken about his opposition about the plan, and was among those asking if there were other options.
“Can we get them a bus ticket?” Udine asked.
“Come on,” Rich told him.
“Before you know it, it’s going to be a $20 million-a-year line item,” said Udine, who also suggested “buying a hotel.”
“It’s like filling a pothole on the Titanic.”
Udine called it a “boondoggle” and voted against the project.
Geller said a hotel could make sense to “accommodate more people” and be placed “in an area more conducive to jobs and shopping.”
Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com. Follow on X, formerly Twitter, @LisaHuriash
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