TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Wednesday afternoon Tallahassee City Commission approved funding for a project in a 4 to 1 vote that would convert a Motel 6 into an affordable housing project.
That money will come from the city, totaling over $19,000 in traffic concurrency mitigation fees. This approval being part of a bigger push for more affordable housing in the city.
The property on North Monroe Street will have 105 studio apartments. Rent for the units will be geared toward low income families that are earning 60 percent of the median income. According to Census data, the median income is in 2021 is just over $49 thousand dollars.
The City Commission added over 3,000 affordable housing units since 2020.
Commissioner Curtis Richardson says affordable housing is the second highest priority for the city, just behind public safety.
Some argue it's still not enough, adding purchasing old hotels is one step in the right direction addressing the affordable housing shortage in Tallahassee.
Commissioner Richardson says other projects for affordable housing include the Big Bend Homeless Coalition's effort to house homeless veterans. The commission approved the sale of a 4.5 acre plot of land in a vote 4 to 1 to the organization to be able to do that. The vacant land is located at 1665 Capital Circle Northwest.
