ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Some affordable housing projects in Pinellas County are hitting a wall in their development timeline.
County leaders said it's a financial problem causing a delay in construction.
"It was my life…it was my history…48 years. I moved into that house in 1974," said Gloria Francine Maxwell, who lost her home in a fire.
It's a date Maxwell will never forget.
"June 23, 2022, between 1 and 1:30 in the morning. I heard 'boom, boom' and I jumped up, ran into my family room, and saw flames coming out the back of my house," said Maxwell.
Maxwell said ever since then, her life has been unimaginable.
"This is a disaster…it may not be a hurricane, it may not be a flood, but my house caught on fire…I had no place to go. I have no family. My sister is in Georgia and my brother is in Texas," said Maxwell.
She's been staying with friends month to month and recently secured a temporary apartment.
"It was very difficult living in one room after having a three-bedroom house," said Maxwell.
She's applied for affordable housing and vouchers and has been put on wait lists.
"If you don't have section eight or housing, it's ridiculous what they want to charge you," said Maxwell.
Maxwell is just one of many people in the Pinellas County area struggling to find affordable housing.
On Thursday, a presentation at the Pinellas County Commission Workshop meeting showed that out of eleven affordable housing projects underway, four are delayed.
County leaders said three of them are due to rising interest rates and construction costs.
"Estimates that over a year's time, some of those costs have increased for various reasons," said Bruce Bussey, the community development manager.
Bussey said his department is encouraging developers to apply for financial assistance programs, and soon he will be making recommendations for additional funding from the county.
"There's been a lot of time and investment, design, development, and engineering in these projects to move forward, we would hate to see those investments lost," said Bussey.
Once complete, the four developments would add over 600 affordable housing units to the Pinellas County area. Bussey said due to the cost, the construction could be delayed for four to six months.
And meanwhile, Maxwell just hopes people like her can stay afloat until then.
"I think more needs to be done," said Maxwell.
