As part of the ongoing fight to mitigate the negative impacts of skyrocketing rents and displacement of residents, Pinellas County is expanding its rental assistance program and sharing funding with the City of St. Petersburg.
During Tuesday’s board meeting, county commissioners unanimously approved a resolution to offer emergency rental assistance (ERA) for those forced into area motels and hotels. The resolution also allows the county to share funding with its largest city after St. Petersburg exhausted its federal ERA money.
The county received nearly $46 million in ERA funds through the Consolidated Appropriation and American Rescue Plan Acts of 2021, of which $18.2 million remains. St. Pete received just over $14 million through the pandemic-era emergency measures, and is urgently trying to secure more money for housing programs. Throngs of residents have repeatedly descended on City Hall to protest the lack of housing options and affordable rent in recent months.
