US: The Miami City Commission is considering changes to its zoning code to establish regulations for coliving in an effort to provide affordable rental accommodation.
If adopted, the amendment will allow for communal living developments in Miami’s central business district, health district and Wynwood.
Last year, Miami surpassed New York City and Los Angeles as the most expensive housing market in the US. In June 2022, the Biden administration called Miami the “epicentre of the housing crisis”.
Government agencies including the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) see coliving as a solution “to provide working-class individuals with affordable shelter”.
The proposed legislation limits coliving developments to the civic centre and health district, central business district downtown and neighbourhood revitalization districts in Wynwood. These are Miami’s busiest urban areas and have rapidly grown in the post-pandemic era as people from across the nation flocked to South Florida.
Background information says the city “recognises the growing demand for accessible housing options, including co-living concepts, incorporated in urban centre and urban core areas where there is significantly less reliance on automobiles and enhanced utilisation of bicycle and transit facilities that connect to places of employment and other services.”
The ordinance defines a coliving unit as communal living quarters consisting of private bedrooms and bathrooms with a shared space that includes a full kitchen with direct access to the outside or a common hall.
Each unit would be allowed a maximum of six coliving rooms. A coliving room is defined as a single bedroom within the unit. Under the proposed requirements, a co-living room must be at least 180 square feet and could not exceed 400 square feet.
The operational plan required under the new ordinance stipulates all coliving units within a building must be managed by one centralised operator and at least one dedicated employee must be available 24 hours a day to respond to residents’ needs.
