Gainesville City Commission adopts single room occupancy ordinance on second reading

At its meeting Thursday, the Gainesville City Commission passed an ordinance covering restrictions on single occupancy residences (SROs) on second reading.

SROs are a form of housing in which tenants live in smaller units, usually lacking a full bathroom, kitchen, or both, and share these features with other SRO units. They offer a potential solution to housing unaffordability by allowing renters to pay less while homeowners can have more units on a smaller real estate lot, according to a City of Gainesville action report.

The ordinance amends SRO regulations, requiring one private bathroom per floor to be assigned to residences without built-in facilities or on-call maintenance, as opposed to 24-hour management if adopted.

Its first reading was approved on June 6.

Commissioner Ed Book said he was originally “hesitant” about the logistics and standard of living of SROs, expressing concern that the type of housing was “dorm-like” and could potentially affect other residences in the region.

“I know we don’t like to use that language, but it’s a dormitory within the city limits,” he said.

Between the first and second reading, Book said he received comments from the Alachua County Association of Realtors advocating for adoption of the initiative.

SRO construction aligns with Gainesville’s goals for providing affordable housing and reducing urban sprawl, according to the Agenda Action Report.

The ordinance was passed unanimously, with Mayor Harvey Ward absent.

The next meeting of the municipal commission will take place on July 18.

Contact Morgan Vanderlaan at [email protected]. Follow her on X @morgvande.