Developer Neighborlee Living, led by Kurt Jetta, has received approval from Palm Beach County for a new affordable housing project featuring micro-units. The county commission approved the development, called Neighborlee Living Westgate, during a zoning hearing on Thursday. The four-story building will be located at 2818 Westgate Avenue in unincorporated Palm Beach County near West Palm Beach and is part of an area managed by the Westgate Community Redevelopment Agency.
The project will include 38 units: 26 micro-units measuring 240 square feet each, 10 studios at 360 square feet, and two one-bedroom apartments at 538 square feet. Most of these units are designated for renters earning between 60 percent and 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), which is $104,000 as of 2024.
Kurt Jetta said that recent college graduates are the main target for these apartments. He explained his motivation: “I’ve always been wired to pay attention to the people making $50,000 and below. I just felt like they were underserved and misunderstood.”
According to Neighborlee’s website, rents will be set at $1,200 per month for micro-units, $1,600 for studios, and $2,000 for one-bedroom units. The studios and one-bedrooms will also offer a $250 monthly voucher toward childcare costs.
Micro-units have become more common in new apartment developments across the country as cities face rising housing costs. In Miami’s Allapattah neighborhood, a planned project includes micro-units as part of its design. Seattle has also seen an increase in this type of housing; according to Multifamily Dive, micro-units make up about two-thirds of planned apartments there.
Jetta noted that while revenue per square foot is higher with micro-units compared to traditional apartments, developing affordable projects remains financially challenging. “We were taken aback by the costs [of construction],” he said.
This marks Jetta’s first development in Palm Beach County. He commented on his experience with local regulations: “We never ran into some cumbersome regulation,” he said. “Everybody’s well-meaning, everybody’s doing their job, but still, you don’t get the affordable housing output people want to see.”
While thousands of residential units are under development in West Palm Beach, most are aimed at luxury renters. For example, Related Ross’ Laurel tower opened last year with one-bedroom rents starting at $3,500.
