Dear Community Members,
Recently, candidate Juli Casale has circulated deliberate misinformation regarding Multi-Tenant Housing Units (MTHUs) in our community. I will share the facts about this affordable housing option for people making less than $35,000 per year. Juli already knows these things because we had a one-on-one conversation about this proposal, and she enthusiastically supported the idea. In fact, it was this enthusiasm that prompted us to make the proposal to a Delray Commission workshop in 2022, because she committed to sponsor it. Care to refute that Juli?
We know that Delray Voters, when sufficiently informed, strongly support the MTHU concept, by a 3:1 margin, so let’s put her intentional misinformation to rest:
Juli Casale Misinformation #1:
“Multi Tenant Housing Units (MTHUs) attract mostly transient renters and are associated with increased crime and nuisance complaints.”
Come on Juli, really? It’s right on the MTHU website. “A typical tenant stays 2-3 years. Of the seven Multi-Tenant Housing Unit (MTHU) tenants in Delray, three have been there for five years; two are brand new, and the other two have been there for about one year.”
There have been no instances of crime in the last five years that MTHUs have been under Jetta Investment Company’s ownership. We encourage you to check with the police department on that fact.
Juli Casale Misinformation #2:
“If our LDRs are changed to permit MTHUS in our city, they will be allowed in any residential neighborhood.”
Not true. It was right in the 10-minute Workshop Presentation on 01/02/24: MTHUs would be confined to Multi-Family and Mixed-Use areas within the West Atlantic Sub-District. Moreover, strict regulations, including limitations on density and spacing requirements, would be in place to prevent over-concentration. Take a look at the City Commission Workshop Presentation for more details.
Juli Casale Misinformation #3:
“The return of transient housing could open the door to the return of unregulated sober homes.”
Delray residents are understandably concerned about a return of anything resembling Sober Homes. However, there are four significant differences between MTHU’s and Sober Homes. It's important to differentiate between the two:
1) MTHUs have stringent tenant vetting processes for tenants, property managers and landlords, whereas sober homes have very little regulation.
2) MTHUs would not be permitted in Single Family Neighborhoods, Sober Homes are.
3) Sober Homes are built for short-term tenancy of 6 months or less. The goal of MTHU’s is long-term residency. Three of our tenants have a combined 14 years of residency after sustained levels of homelessness.
4) Sober Homes have residents with inherent problems of addiction, the only “problem” with MTHU residents is that they are poor. Is that a crime?
Juli Casale Misinformation #4:
“I said NO to an applicant’s request …to allow MTHU’s and I stand by that decision.”
As mentioned above, that’s not what you told me one-on-one. You said you would enthusiastically support this initiative, and you gave me your CELL number, for chrissake!
Juli Casale Out of Touch Remark #1:
“We need to hold developers accountable to their commitment to build a percentage of affordable housing as part of their projects.”
Juli Casale believes that developers should only allocate a small percentage of affordable housing in their luxury developments, rather than dedicating entire projects to low-income individuals. Here’s the stats: the Delray Commission has approved 274 units of workforce housing in the past six years, 45 per year. None of them were affordable to anyone below $66,000 income per year. During those six years, rents in our city have increased by 80% according to the federal government.
Juli Casale Out of Touch Remark #2:
“MTHUs are not part of the solution to our affordable housing crisis, and profit-driven owners are misleading you when they call MTHUs “affordable housing”.”
You’re right. We should really be saying “TRULY affordable housing”. Multi-Tenant Housing Units would be $600/month, a viable option for people who make as little as $12,000 per year. Considering the “Fair Market” rent is $1,800 per month in Delray Beach, we’d say that MTHUs are quite an affordable solution. Were you aware 83% of renters who make less than $35k per year spend more than half of their income on rent?
What’s your solution for people making less than $35,000 per year in our town (23% of all households). Do you have one? Or do you just want to pander to those that are similarly bigoted and misinformed? Before you and others get up in arms about my characterization of you as a bigot, look up the definition. Unreasonable? Check. Obstinate? Check. Prejudice against a group of people (Poor people)? Check. You knew the things you communicated were false, yet you decided to do it anyway.
Juli Casale, you decided to capitalize on the hot-topic of affordable housing by spreading lies. What else are you lying about, Juli?