PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Big news in Pinellas County, where officials have taken action to address the area's affordable housing crisis.
On Tuesday, county commissioners unanimously approved the development of more affordable housing units over the course of the year.
Dr. Monika Alesnik with the Homeless Leadership Alliance of Pinellas, Inc., was ecstatic when she heard the news.
"I am absolutely thrilled," Alesnik said.
Alesnik knows all too well the homeless crisis that is plaguing Pinellas County.
As of Tuesday night, she said there are more than one hundred families who are on a waitlist to get into a Pinellas County shelter.
"We desperately need this in our community because this is a time we are seeing a huge increase in homelessness for our seniors and homelessness for our families," Alesnik said.
In a matter of minutes, all Pinellas County commissioners approved the construction and renovations of four developments which equates to an additional 307 affordable units within the county.
$12.51 million in county funds will help support the four developments in Lealman, Ridgecrest, and St. Petersburg.
Currently, 1 in 3 Pinellas households struggles to afford their monthly rent or mortgage, paying more than a third of their income on housing.
About the new developments:
- Skyway Lofts II will bring 66 quality apartments adjacent to the Skyway Lofts development, which opened in 2021, in the Skyway Marina District.
- The construction site is located at 3800 34th Street S. in St. Petersburg.
- All units will be for households making 80 percent or less of the area's median income.
- The project will cost $22.99 million.
- Pinellas County will offer their financial support of $3.4 million in Penny for Pinellas funds.
- The City of St. Petersburg is also providing $6.5 million for the project.
- Blue Sky Communities is serving as the developer.
Burlington Post II will offer 75 units for seniors with income levels at or below 80 percent of AMI, with some units restricted to 60 and 30 percent of AMI. The new apartments will be located adjacent to the 86-unit Burlington Post in St. Petersburg.
The construction site is located at the corner of Burlington Avenue North and 33rd Street North. The project is expected to cost $28.41 million. Pinellas County will offer $3.750 million, including $3.5 million in Emergency
Rental Assistance funds and $208,023 in Housing Trust funds. The City of St. Petersburg is providing an additional $5.625 million. Green Mills Group is the developer.
Lealman Heights will provide 86 apartments in the heart of the Lealman Community Redevelopment Area for households making 80 percent or less of AMI.
The new apartments will replace 38 older units on the property in need of significant investment. The developer will work with current tenants to find alternate affordable housing and then help them move back in after the project is complete. The project is the culmination of years of work by the County, including purchasing numerous properties in 2016 with Penny for Pinellas funds. The project will cost $23.59 million. Pinellas County will support with $2 million in federal Neighborhood Stabilization funds. SP Pinellas II is the developer.
Heritage Oaks will offer 80 new quality apartments for seniors, replacing 48 existing units in the Rainbow Village public housing community that have become functionally obsolete. Current residents will be relocated during construction and offered one of the new units once completed. All units will be reserved for seniors making 60 percent or less of AMI. This project will be the first phase of four in the redevelopment of Rainbow Village, which is located at 12455 130th Avenue N., Largo. The project will cost $28.98 million.
Pinellas County will offer $2.5 million in federal HOME Investment Partnership Program and Community Development Block Grant funds, $860,000 in State Housing Initiatives Program (SHIP) funds as well as $610,000 previously approved SHIP funds. Newstar Development LLC is the developer.
Kathryn Driver is the Executive Director of Pinellas County Housing Finance Authority. She said there is another plus to the added affordable housing.
The Skyway and Lealman properties are part of the county's land trust agreement which means the units will remain affordable for at least 99 years.
The Heritage Oaks and Burlington locations are not part of the county's land trust, but they are locked into a 30-year agreement to keep the units at an affordable rate.
All four developers have the option to extend once their limit expires.
