http://www.naplesnews.com/news/government/collier-countys-fees-for-new-construction-hitting-modest-homes-harder-33471a08-ddbc-7c96-e053-010000-381432111.html
There is a huge home affordability problem in Collier Co and the fees sure don't help! The article goes in depth about the history of the fees. Here are a few highlights:
"The issue is, it's obvious, you can't build a cheap home when fees are 10 percent of the home," Torres said. "Fees don't make any sense. How can a $5 million home pay the same as a $70,000 home?"
County commissioners last year began changing the 11 impact fees charged for new development, converting from a sliding-scale to a two-tier system to calculate the fees, which are more than $20,000. The new system will ensure that families building houses under 1,500 square feet are charged the same amount in impact fees as those building larger homes up to 3,999 square feet. New homes 4,000 square feet or larger pay only slightly more.
Impact fees, in general, work like regressive taxes that put more of a burden on the least expensive homes, said Steve Kirk, president of a nonprofit called Rural Neighborhoods that provides affordable housing.
No comments:
Post a Comment