Fort Lauderdale Mayor Calls Workforce Housing Ordinance 'Communistic'

Major developers who are members of the city's Downtown Development Authority originally supported the concept of an affordable housing regulation, but don't like the results. The developers want the proposal rewritten to offer incentives to developers and to spread the cost across the general public. Mayor Naugle suggested that people who want a home in Fort Lauderdale should be willing to work more than a 40-hour work week, and even then settle for a condo or townhouse.

"I'm supposed to subsidize some schlock sitting on the sofa and drinking a beer, who won't work more than 40 hours a week?" he asked. "I deny that there is a problem. You can buy condos all day for $160,000." Naugle's comments may be contested by working-class citizens who've told the city that they want to live in the town, but can't afford it. Housing prices in Broward County continue to increase. The median home price in March was $368,100. Median price for a condo was $202,600.