Monroe County Law on employee / affordable housing:

(C-11)Commercial apartment  means an attached or detached residential dwelling unit located on the same parcel of land as a non-residential use that is intended to serve as permanent housing for the owner or employees of that nonresidential use. Tourist housing use or vacation rental use of commercial apartments is prohibited. (Ord. No. 003-2002, § 1) 

(E-1)Employee housing  means an attached or detached dwelling unit that is intended to serve as affordable, permanent housing for working households, which derive at least seventy (70) percent of their household income from gainful employment in Monroe County and meet the requirements for affordable housing as per sections 9.5-4(A-5) and 9.5-266. (Ord. No. 19-1989, § 1(PD11A); Ord. No. 47-1999, § 2; Ord. No. 003-2002, § 1) 

(E-2)Employer-owned rental housing  means an attached or detached dwelling unit owned by a firm, business, educational institution, non-governmental or governmental agency, corporation or other entity that is intended to serve as affordable, permanent housing for its employees. This category of employee housing shall be located on the same parcel of land as the non-residential use. (Ord. No. 19-1989, § 1(PD120A(1)); Ord. No. 036-2004, § 1) 

(A-5)Affordable housing  refers to residential dwelling units that meet the following requirements: 

Meet all applicable requirements of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development minimum property standards as to room sizes, fixtures, landscaping and building materials, when not in conflict with applicable laws of Monroe County; and

a)   Generally, affordable housing  for a rental dwelling unit shall mean a dwelling unit whose monthly rent, not including utilities, does not exceed thirty (30) percent of that amount which represents either fifty (50) (very low income) or eighty (80) (low income) or one hundred (100) (median income) or one hundred twenty (120) (moderate income) percent of the monthly median adjusted household income for Monroe County. 

b)   Affordable rental housing, very low income  shall be a rental dwelling unit whose monthly rent, not including utilities, does not exceed thirty (30) percent of the amount which represents fifty (50) percent of the monthly median adjusted household income for Monroe County. 

c)   Affordable rental housing, low income  shall mean a dwelling unit whose monthly rent, not including utilities, does not exceed thirty (30) percent of the amount which represents eighty (80) percent of the monthly median adjusted household income for Monroe County. 

d)   Affordable rental housing, median income  shall mean a dwelling unit whose monthly rent, not including utilities, does not exceed thirty (30) percent of the amount which represents one hundred (100) percent of the monthly adjusted median household income for Monroe County. 

e)   Affordable rental housing, moderate income  shall mean a dwelling unit whose monthly rent, not including utilities, does not exceed thirty (30) percent of the amount which represents one hundred twenty (120) percent of the monthly median adjusted household income for Monroe County. 

f)   Affordable housing owner occupied very low income  shall mean a dwelling unit occupied only by a household whose total household income does not exceed fifty (50) percent of the median monthly household income for Monroe County. 

g)   Affordable housing owner occupied low income  shall mean a dwelling unit occupied only by a household whose total household income does not exceed eighty (80) percent of the median monthly household income for Monroe County. 

h)   Affordable housing owner occupied median income  shall mean a dwelling unit occupied only by a household whose total household income does not exceed one hundred (100) percent of the median monthly household income for Monroe County. 

i)   Affordable housing owner occupied moderate income  shall mean a dwelling unit occupied only by a household whose total household income does not exceed one hundred sixty (160) percent of the median monthly household income for Monroe County. 

j)   Affordable housing trust fund  shall mean a trust fund established and maintained by the county for the purpose of preserving existing and promoting creation of new affordable and employee housing. Funds collected for and deposited in the trust fund shall be used exclusively for purposes of creating, preserving or maintaining affordable and employee housing in the Florida Keys. 

k)   Monthly median household income  shall mean the median annual household income for Monroe County divided by twelve (12). 

l)   Median income, rental rates and qualifying incomes table  shall mean eligibility requirements compiled each year by the Planning Department based upon the median annual household income published for Monroe County on an annual basis by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and similar information for median and moderate income levels from the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. Affordable housing eligibility requirements for each household will be based upon median annual household income adjusted by family size, as set forth by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. The county shall rely upon this information to determine maximum rental rates and maximum household incomes eligible for affordable housing rental or purchase. 

m)   Inclusionary housing  shall mean the resulting affordable and/or employee housing created or preserved with the development and/or redevelopment of a parcel or parcels where provisions of approved development agreements or orders implement and promote affordable and/or employee housing goals, objectives and policies contained in the plan by requiring set-asides for affordable and/or employee housing units.