St. Pete Catalysts Published By: Karen Chassin
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Housing affordability has been a hot topic in Tampa Bay for some time. Affordable housing was a prominent feature in the debate about the various Tropicana Field redevelopment proposals. As luxury towers spring up and rents and home values spiral upward, many people who live and work in St. Petersburg and the broader region can’t secure housing that fits their budget and is priced out of the area. Some fall into homelessness.
But the public conversation about housing can be confusing, lacking in specificity, and short on solutions. What, exactly, does “affordable housing” mean? What’s the scope of the affordability problem? What strategies are helping to increase the availability of homes for lower-wage and middle-class buyers and renters in the hot Tampa Bay real estate markets?
For guidance on the affordable housing puzzle, we turned to Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties CEO Mike Sutton and his team. This region is fortunate to be home to the nation’s most prolific Habitat affiliate, which will soon turn over the keys to its 800th home to a family in Lealman. Read more
