The City of Melbourne works with local nonprofit partners and manages state and federal grant programs to help address the lack of affordable housing in our community and to help those who are experiencing homelessness. The City is also a member of the Brevard Continuum of Care (CoC) and holds a position on the CoC Advisory Council to understand the current issues and obstacles and participate in solutions and difficulties.

Street to Home

Since 2016, the City of Melbourne has been a partner in the Street to Home program, which helps people who are living on the streets exit homelessness and transition into stable housing through a combination of targeted outreach and intensive case management. Previously coordinated by Steadytown and now Daily Bread, other program partners include Melbourne Main Street and other service agencies and local businesses. The City of Melbourne contributes $50,000 annually to fund a case manager for this effort, and also provides support from its Community Development and Melbourne Police departments. 

In 2020 and 2021, the City designated an additional $400,000 in federal coronavirus relief funds toward bridge housing and other programs that helped those who were unsheltered or at imminent risk of becoming homeless utilizing community agencies, including Daily Bread, Steadytown, South Brevard Sharing Center and Family Promise of Brevard. 

Preventing Homelessness

The City of Melbourne’s Housing and Urban Improvement Division administers a variety of federal- and state-funded housing and community development programs that aim to provide affordable housing, housing assistance, neighborhood improvement, and supportive services for low-income residents. In 2023, the Melbourne City Council approved an additional homestead exemption of $25,000 to help residents over the age of 65 with limited income continue to afford to stay in their homes.

The City Council has also designated portions of the City’s Federal FY 2024-2025 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to go toward programs to prevent homelessness in our community. Family Promise of Brevard will receive $16,879 to assist people and households who are at risk of or are experiencing homelessness, WAYS for Life will be given $15,000 to help young adults and teens as they age out of foster care, and $16,356 will be given to Edna W. Jackson Pantry/Greater Allen Development to provide hot meals, food, clothing, and personal hygiene projects year-round in the South Melbourne service area. 

Affordable Housing

The Melbourne City Council has approved incentives, including reduced setbacks, parking, square-footage minimums, along with impact fee waivers, in order to encourage more affordable housing development in the City of Melbourne.

City Council has also awarded $4 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to three affordable housing projects:

• $3 million to Providence Place to construct 120 affordable housing units on City-owned property on Sarno Road.
• $500,000 to Habitat for Humanity and Macedonia Community Development Corporation to construct three single family homes in South Melbourne.
• $500,000 to BNDC/Neighbor Up Brevard to construct eight multifamily units on Masterson Street.