The City of Key West has a new Housing and Community Development Program Manager.
Burns
Tina Burns hails from Lexington, Kentucky, and has a wealth of experience in affordable workforce housing rentals and development.
Since 2012, Burns has served as Executive Director of REACH Inc. (Resources Education Assistance Community Housing) in Lexington.
The non-profit is a consortium of 20 entities established in 1994 to help low- to moderate-income families and individuals become first-time homebuyers. REACH provides homebuyer education and housing counseling services to help clients prepare for owning a home and financial assistance with down payment and closing costs to make purchasing a home more affordable.
The group has helped more than 750 families and individuals become homeowners in Central Kentucky.
In 2006, REACH became a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO), which allows the agency to serve as a developer of affordable housing.
Burns brings extensive experience dealing with Housing and Urban Development and the Federal Housing Administration.
“I believe Tina will be a perfect fit for us in the City of Key West with the wealth of experience she brings to the table,” said Mayor Teri Johnston. “We need somebody who can focus on affordable housing eight hours a day, but also go to Tallahassee and work through the issues we have with the Department of Economic Opportunity and other agencies to allow us to build more workforce housing.”
Johnston said Burns’ experience also dovetails perfectly with the city’s new focus on holding homeownership workshops for first-time buyers.
“Right now, from where I have come from to Key West, the crisis in housing differs so much because we have land in Kentucky, but not in Key West,” she said. “We hope to get some units available to workforce members and retain our current workers.”
One of Burns’ priorities is to address short-term versus long-term rentals.
“If we don’t have places for people to live, we don’t have workers, said Burns.
Burns said she also wants to focus on rehabilitating existing housing units and working with community partners such as AH Monroe on projects like the 3.2-acre The Lofts at Bahama Village.
Unlike previous Affordable Housing Director Demetria Simpson, who was fired by the city in November, Burns already has ties to the community.
Her husband, Jack Burns, is the Communications Supervisor for the Key West Police Department. He started his first day on the job as Hurricane Ian impacted the Lower Florida Keys.
“We are looking forward to becoming a part of the community, and there is plenty of work to be done,” she said.
Burns will start work on April 3, the same day as incoming City Manager Albert Childress.
