Florida's Live Local Act, parcel by parcel.
The Live Local Act lets qualifying affordable and mixed-income housing go up on commercial, industrial and mixed-use land without a rezoning. LiveLocalZoning works out what that means for any parcel in the places it covers, currently Stuart and Fort Pierce: whether it qualifies, and how much density, height and floor area it would be entitled to.
Housing on land that was zoned for something else
Florida's Live Local Act (SB 102, effective 1 July 2023) is the state's main housing affordability law. Its land-use section requires cities and counties to allow multifamily and mixed-use residential projects on land zoned for commercial, industrial or mixed use, if enough of the homes are affordable. A qualifying project does not need a rezoning, a land-use amendment or a special exception. The city must approve it administratively, and it cannot hold it to lower density, height or floor area than the Act sets.
The Legislature has amended the Act each year since: SB 328 in 2024, further changes in 2025, and HB 1389, which took effect on 1 July 2026. The Act also includes funding, tax and rent-control provisions; this site covers the land-use rules: F.S. 166.04151(7) for cities such as Stuart and Fort Pierce, and the parallel county provision, F.S. 125.01055(7), for unincorporated county land such as Martin County's.
What a qualifying project gets
Each figure is set by a rule in the statute, so it differs from place to place. Places covered shows how each rule works out in each place, as LiveLocalZoning reads its code.
Where the tool works
Each place has its own page, with its figures from its own zoning code and comprehensive plan, and its own screening tool using its own GIS services.
The affordability bargain
- At least 40% of the homes must be rental units affordable to households earning up to 120% of area median income.
- They must stay affordable for at least 30 years.
- A mixed-use project must be at least 65% residential by floor area, and the local government may require no more than 10% non-residential space.
Where it applies
- Land zoned for commercial, industrial or mixed use, including flexibly zoned areas such as PUDs where those uses are allowed.
- Public land owned by the city, the county or the school district, with the owner joining the application.
- Land of more than three acres owned by a religious institution for at least ten years, with the institution as co-applicant.
What the Act doesn't override
- Single-family neighbours. Where single-family zoning adjoins a site on two or more sides, the local government may cap height at 150% of the tallest adjacent building, or three storeys if higher.
- Excluded land. Areas of critical state concern, certain open space and park districts, land under recorded conservation easements, and areas near airports unless the airport's governing body agrees.
- Other local rules. Setbacks, parking, landscaping and design standards still apply, as long as they aren't used to cut the entitled height.
What changed on 1 July 2026
- Cities can no longer reduce the allowed height indirectly through setbacks or stepbacks.
- Eligibility on public land and large religious-institution land is set out regardless of the underlying zoning.
- Farms no longer count as commercial use; open space districts, conservation easements and airport areas are excluded.
- Applicants who filed before 1 July 2026 may proceed under the earlier rules or amend to use the new ones.
How LiveLocalZoning screens a parcel
The tool queries each place's own GIS services live, in your browser, so results reflect its current zoning layer.
Find the parcel
Open a place's tool, then search an address or parcel number, or click a parcel on the zoning map. Parcels outside the place are flagged and cleared.
Test eligibility
Reads the parcel's zoning district, owner and use against the Act's eligibility routes.
Benchmark height within one mile
Lists every zoning district within a mile of the parcel boundary and finds the tallest by-right height.
Check single-family adjacency
Works out which sides of the parcel touch single-family zoning, and applies the 150% cap when two or more do.
Screen exclusions and overlays
Airport distance, conservation land, habitat areas, evacuation zone, FEMA flood zone and the CRA boundary.