In Palm Beach County, housing conversations have traditionally focused on families, how communities support them, where they live, and how homes are designed. But quietly, steadily, another group has grown large enough to demand its own seat at the table: non-family households.
They are single professionals, healthcare workers, hospitality staff, teachers, first responders, recent graduates, and residents at transitional moments of life. While they represent a smaller share of the population, they make up a significant portion of households and nearly half of all renters countywide.
Neighborlee Living’s Westgate micro-apartment development is among the first local projects to acknowledge this reality, not as an afterthought, but as a guiding principle. Notably, it is the first development of its kind to receive approval for micro-style units in Palm Beach County, setting a precedent for how thoughtfully designed, right-sized housing can responsibly expand the county’s housing toolkit.
Led by Dr. Kurt Jetta and a multidisciplinary team of planners, architects, and housing professionals, Neighborlee Westgate reframes affordability through data, dignity, and design. Developed in partnership with Delray Housing Group, the project brings together experience in workforce and attainable housing with a shared commitment to long-term community stability. It asks a simple but overdue question: What if housing policy actually reflected who lives here now?
A Mismatch Hiding in Plain Sight
Non-family households represent more than a third of Palm Beach County households and a significant share of renters, particularly at lower and moderate income levels. Yet housing policy, still anchored to family-based income standards, often misrepresents what affordability looks like for single earners.
“The largest complaint we hear about affordable housing,” Dr. Kurt Jetta says, “is that parents of single, young adults say their children can’t afford to live in the area and be near their family.”
Rent burden may be discussed in abstract terms, but for many it is a daily reality shaped by rising housing costs. Neighborlee Living Westgate responds with rent targets developed through a more realistic lens, balancing affordability with dignity so residents can remain close to work and community without sacrificing financial footing.
Small by Design, Not by Compromise
The micro units at Neighborlee Living Westgate, some as compact as 240 square feet, are intentional, not experimental. This is a model proven in cities around the world, from Tokyo to Copenhagen to New York, where right-sized living has expanded access without sacrificing quality of life.
“We never approached this as ‘small housing,’” Dr. Jetta explains. “We approached it as intentional housing, designed with dignity, efficiency, and real daily life in mind.”
Each residence is thoughtfully planned, with full kitchens and bathrooms, private balconies, and layouts that maximize functionality. Shared amenities, including a rooftop deck and neighborhood-serving retail, extend livability beyond the apartment itself.
Micro living here is not about less; it is about efficiency, affordability, and freedom.
As Commissioner Greg Weiss noted during the project’s unanimous approval, “Small spaces, you can do a lot in. It’s going to allow folks to save money, potentially use that as a down payment to get into ownership.”
A New Standard for Workforce Housing
Neighborlee Living Westgate is designed for essential workers and young professionals often priced out of the communities they serve. While micro units are intended for single occupancy, the commitment extends beyond lease terms: residents who welcome a child are transitioned into a larger unit with rent held steady, and families with young children qualify for a monthly childcare voucher. It is a rare example of housing that adapts to life, not the other way around.
A Project Rooted in Community
The Westgate project is conceived not simply as development, but as a community-minded project, with ground-floor retail, proximity to transit and employment centers, and on-site management designed to support long-term stability.
It marks an important milestone, but also a starting point, demonstrating what is possible when housing is shaped by care, context, and community need.
In a county experiencing rapid growth and rising housing pressure, Neighborlee Living Westgate offers something rare: a solution that feels both practical and hopeful. Not bigger homes, but a different approach to living. Not temporary fixes, but a recalibration of how we think about who housing is for.
And perhaps most importantly, a reminder that dignity is not measured in square feet.
It’s going to allow folks to save money, potentially use that as a down payment to get into ownership.
We never approached this as ‘small housing.' We approached it as intentional housing, designed with dignity, efficiency, and real daily life in mind.