NORTH PORT, Fla. — North Port commissioners are delaying a process that would require city-owned land to be identified for affordable housing.
North Port Mayor Phil Stokes explained the commission needs to consider all options before moving forward with any decisions.
Watch to see why they want to delay the process:
"We just want to try to make sure that the properties we make available under the Live Local Act are properties that will make sense and that can be developed, both for affordable housing," Stokes said. "As our needs grow as a city, we don't compromise our ability to meet some of those needs by earmarking certain property for affordable when potentially they could have other good public use."
According to Stokes, North Port has led the county in providing affordable housing for years. However, he points to high interest rates and rising construction costs as major challenges for affordable housing development.
"North Port will continue to do everything it can to create a climate that lends itself to affordable housing here in the city," Stokes said.
Ed Izatt, a North Port homeowner, supports the commission's decision to delay. He expressed concerns about potential neighborhood impacts while acknowledging the housing challenges many families face.
"I think everybody's initial reaction when you first hear that is, at least for me, is, what's it going to do to affect the neighborhood, and what will it do to affect property values," Izatt said. "At the same time, as a father, I have kids who struggle, just like everybody else, to be able to afford housing, and so I understand the problem."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
