TwitterFacebookPinterestGoogle+

Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties announces $6 million affordable housing investment with focus on South St. Petersburg

[ad_1]

St. Petersburg, FL— This afternoon, Habitat for Humanity of
Pinellas and West Pasco Counties held a press conference with an exciting
announcement regarding affordable housing in the Pinellas and Pasco Counties.
The affiliate is embarking on a $6 million tax credit in partnership with
Hancock Whitney Bank and Smith New Markets Tax Credit Associates.

The press conference was held at
the affiliate’s St. Petersburg Resource Center. In addition to Habitat
representatives, volunteers and homeowner candidates, several elected officials
gathered for the announcement including Pinellas County Commissioners Ken Welch
and Charlie Justice, City of St. Petersburg Council Members Gina Driscoll, Brandi
Gabbard, Charles Gerdes, City of St. Petersburg Council Member Elect Deborah
Figgs-Sanders, Pinellas County School Board Member Rene Flowers and District
Director Steven Cary.

Since 1985, Habitat for Humanity
for Pinellas and West Pasco Counties has been creating homeownership
opportunities for low income people and families with the help of the
community. In March of this year, the Pinellas affiliate merged with the West
Pasco County affiliate of Habitat for Humanity with the idea we will serve more
families annually. The affiliate is less than 2 months away from celebrating its
600th Home Milestone.

Fifteen years ago, Habitat
Pinellas and West Pasco completed home #100, located in South St. Pete, in
partnership with a low income family.

Life was a struggle for this single
mother of two, who had to make tough decisions. She was focused and determined
to change the trajectory of her family. 
While determined on getting her two daughters through school, they
became focused on the possibilities for college.  This mother, too, became driven to strengthen
her life.  Over the past 15 years, she
paid off her Habitat mortgage in less than 14 years, went back to school and
became an RN, and is now flourishing as a nurse with All Children’s
Hospital. 

Fifteen years later, the life of
this family has drastically improved and Habitat for Humanity was blessed with
being a small part.

In 2017, Habitat Pinellas and West
Pasco renewed its commitment to the area with a $1.5 million investment in new
home construction in the South St. Pete CRA. This investment was then exceeded
by more than $1 million.   

A year later, the affiliate opened
its St. Petersburg Resource Center to increase accessibility to south county
residents.

Habitat Pinellas and West Pasco
has completed nearly 40 new homes, more than 40 home repairs and currently has
15 homes under construction in the CRA alone since opening the St. Pete office.

This afternoon, the affiliate
announced it will continue to advance its affordable housing work in South St.
Petersburg and throughout its service area. Habitat has engaged in a $6 million
tax credit in partnership with Hancock Whitney Bank and Smith New Markets Tax
Credit Associates.

This private investment will allow
Habitat the opportunity to build an additional 45 homes over the next 12
months, with more than 50% of those being built in the South St. Petersburg
CRA.  This translates to over 40 families
and individuals in the community that will soon have the opportunity to change
their lives forever through homeownership.

“This tax credit opportunity will
allow us to build even more over the next 12 months, in addition to the 47
completed/near completion,” explains Mike Sutton, president and CEO of the
affiliate. The South St. Petersburg CRA continues to be a main focus for
Habitat as it is a community severely under served in our community. We
recognize a lot of broken promises to this community has created a lot of hurt
over the years. Habitat aspires to be a catalyst for good in a community rich
in history by providing South St. Pete Residents the opportunity to STAY in
their community…investing in their future through the power of homeownership.”

With an affordable 0% interest
mortgage, Habitat homeowners can break the cycle of poverty that so many
families face, and will be able to eliminate the stress of having to choose
between having a safe home or providing their family with the things they need,
such as health care or nutritious food.

This investment will allow the
organization to amplify its impact and allow more families to have a safe and
affordable home.

Sutton closed the announcement by
encouraging attendees to get engaged with the Habitat mission as we enter the
holiday season and a new year.

“Everyone deserves a decent place
to live, and together, we can make the dream of homeownership a reality for
those in need.”

Habitat for Humanity of
Pinellas County and West Pasco Counties

In March
2019, the West Pasco and Pinellas County affiliates merged to form Habitat
for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties.
In total, the affiliate
has served more than 780 families in Pinellas and West Pasco Counties through
its homeownership and home repair program. Volunteers and the future homeowners
construct the homes, which are sold at no profit and financed with a
zero-interest loan. Habitat homeowner candidates earn 30 to 80 percent of area
median income. Candidates must demonstrate a need for adequate shelter; the ability
to pay back a zero-interest loan and willingness to partner with Habitat to
invest 350 to 450 sweat equity hours. Mortgage monies are then used to build more
homes, making each donation to Habitat a perpetual legacy to the community.
Habitat believes that homeownership contributes to family stability which leads
to community stability. Additionally, the affiliate raises funds through their
two ReStores. ReStores are home improvement outlets where donated household and
building items are sold to the public. For more information about Habitat
for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties, call (727) 536-4755 or visit
www.habitatpwp.org.

#



[ad_2]

Source link

Leave a Reply

Widget GK News Show Pro

Tampa Today: Top Events and Happenings This Weekend

Tampa is buzzing with excitement this weekend, offering a diverse range of events for residents and visitors alike. Whether you're…

09 Feb 2025 Uncategorized admin No comments

Read more

Dual Diagnosis: Navigating Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorders and Substance Abuse

Dual diagnosis, also known as co-occurring disorders, refers to the simultaneous presence of a mental health disorder and a substance…

13 Jan 2025 Uncategorized admin No comments

Read more

Accessing Affordable Healthcare in Florida: Key Services and Providers

Healthcare affordability remains a pressing concern for many Floridians. As the cost of medical care continues to rise, understanding the…

13 Nov 2024 Uncategorized admin No comments

Read more

The Emotional Rollercoaster: Understanding the Mental Health Struggles of Addiction

Addiction is often referred to as a physical dependency on substances, but its emotional and mental toll is just as…

22 Sep 2024 Uncategorized admin No comments

Read more
  • 1
  • 2
«
»

Advertisement style

Cras mattis consectetur purus sit amet fermentum. Donec sed odio dui. Sed posuere consectetur est at lobortis. Donec ullamcorper nulla non metus auctor fringilla. Aenean eu leo quam. Pellentesque ornare sem lacinia quam venenatis vestibulum. Donec id elit non mi porta gravida at eget metus. Integer posuere erat a ante venenatis dapibus posuere velit aliquet.

Badge New

Nullam quis risus eget urna mollis ornare vel eu leo. Curabitur blandit tempus porttitor. Maecenas sed diam eget risus varius blandit sit amet non magna. Aenean eu leo quam.

Badge Hot

Nullam quis risus eget urna mollis ornare vel eu leo. Curabitur blandit tempus porttitor. Maecenas sed diam eget risus varius blandit sit amet non magna. Aenean eu leo quam.

Badge Popular

Nullam quis risus eget urna mollis ornare vel eu leo. Curabitur blandit tempus porttitor. Maecenas sed diam eget risus varius blandit sit amet non magna. Aenean eu leo quam.

Badge Top

Nullam quis risus eget urna mollis ornare vel eu leo. Curabitur blandit tempus porttitor. Maecenas sed diam eget risus varius blandit sit amet non magna. Aenean eu leo quam.