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Barker (Harris), Courtney
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Mrs. Sharpe found her sister a place at the River Breeze apartments, but said she fears that
building will also become condo. "I 'm going to be doing this again in a year," she said. "I really
feel sorry for people who didn't have an advocate."
Ms. Harris said, that so far this year, no apartment building owners have alerted the city about
converting. State law mandates that owners notify the city before they can convert their
buildings. "We're keeping our eyes and ears open," said Ms. Harris.
The City Council has been looking into the issue of increased condo conversions but so far does
not seem to be a legal solution in preventing owners from converting their buildings, said City
Attorney Dwight Severs.
"There is a fair amount of case law that says we can't interfere with condo conversions," Mr.
Severs said. "I'm not optimistic. It's a form of ownership, not land use. We'll continue to look at
it, but it's an issue for state legislature."
The city is looking into giving incentives to people who will build apartments in the area. The
lack of affordable rentals is not just an issue for section-8 recipients. Many working people may
have a difficult time finding affordable rentals.
For instance, Titusville's newer apartment complexes, the Summerhill Apartment Homes, are
fetching upward of $710 for a one-bedroom, one-bath unit, and two-bedroom, two-bath units are
starting at $930. Officials say this is the consistent with the fair market value price.
Bob Lambert, executive director of the Titusville Housing Authority, said he is concerned about
steep rental prices and a lack of apartments. "There's just not enough apartments," he said. "It's a
problem that's just going to explode. I don't think the income anywhere in Brevard can support
this kind of rental market.
Mr. Lambert said his office recently conducted a survey of new development projects. They
found that the city, as of February, had approved 38 building projects. Of the developers Mr.
Lambert's spoke to, only two were constructing rental property, and many of the single-family
homes for sale were priced at $250,000 and more. "I was floored," he said. "Where are the
working people, not even the poor people, going to live? Not everybody works at the Space
Center and makes a $100,000 a year."
Mayor Ron Swank said his own children are left wondering how they will afford to live. "It's not
just a Titusville issue; it's an issue throughout the state," he said. "Not everybody is looking to
buy a house.
Compiled By: Sean Baenziger
Colin Baenziger & Associates
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