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Brownsville, Florida: LIHTC-Funded Affordable Housing Amid Demographic Shifts
CATEGORY
Affordable Housing
DATA
LIHTC Projects
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Population
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Affordable Housing
LIHTC Projects
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Population
Brownsville, Florida, maintains a significant Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) funded affordable housing inventory. The city possesses 650 total units in LIHTC-funded projects, with 502 designated as low-income units. Based on the 2022 population of 18,692 and an estimated 7,162 housing units, LIHTC-funded affordable housing comprises approximately 9.1% of the city's estimated housing inventory.
Brownsville has received $6,297,543 in project tax credits through the LIHTC program. With approximately 9 projects, this equates to an average federal funding of $699,727 per project and $9,688 per unit. The city holds 0.93% of Florida's total LIHTC funding, indicating a substantial concentration of affordable housing investment relative to its size.
The earliest LIHTC project in Brownsville was completed in 2005 (Ward Towers Assisted Living Facility), while the most recent was completed in 2020 (Regatta Place). This 15-year span demonstrates a consistent commitment to affordable housing development in the city. The 2010s saw the most affordable housing projects completed, with notable developments including Brownsville Transit Village II and IV, Everett Stewart Senior Village, and Mildred & Claude Pepper Towers.
The LIHTC-funded housing inventory in Brownsville includes a diverse mix of unit types: 1 efficiency, 300 one-bedroom, 167 two-bedroom, and 98 three-bedroom units. This distribution suggests a focus on accommodating various household sizes and needs.
Over the past decade, Brownsville has experienced population growth, increasing from 14,717 in 2013 to 18,692 in 2022. The median income has also risen, from $25,002 in 2013 to $31,071 in 2022. This growth may have contributed to the continued development of LIHTC projects to meet increasing housing needs.
The racial composition of Brownsville has shifted significantly. The Black population decreased from 71% in 2013 to 49% in 2022, while the Hispanic population increased from 27% to 49% during the same period. This demographic shift may have influenced the types of affordable housing projects developed and their targeted populations.
Brownsville has a substantial LIHTC-funded affordable housing inventory, covering about 9.1% of the estimated housing stock. The city has received significant federal funding for these projects, holding nearly 1% of Florida's total LIHTC allocation. The consistent development of affordable housing over 15 years, coupled with population growth and demographic changes, reflects an ongoing commitment to meeting the community's evolving housing needs. The diverse mix of unit types in LIHTC projects suggests efforts to accommodate various household sizes and compositions within the affordable housing sector.
