4 New Affordable Housing Developments Approved By Pinellas Commission

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — The Pinellas County Commission took another big step toward creating more affordable housing with the appropriation of $12.51 million in county funds to support four developments in Lealman, Ridgecrest and St. Petersburg, totaling 307 units.

The planned apartments further the county's new Housing Action Plan announced at the Pinellas County Housing Summit on April 28 to create quality homes that are affordable to people of all incomes.

Last year, a number of municipalities joined Pinellas County and Forward Pinellas in signing a Countywide Housing Compact, a commitment to work together toward a future where more friends, neighbors and essential workers can afford to call Pinellas home.

To date, Pinellas County and Forward Pinellas, along with the cities of Clearwater, Gulfport, Largo, Oldsmar, Pinellas Park, St. Petersburg and Treasure Island have all signed the Advantage Pinellas Housing Compact.

At this year's summit, the Advantage Pinellas Housing Compact partners rolled out the Housing Action Plan which calls on businesses, developers, nonprofits and other community partners to join the effort to provide more affordable housing in the county.

Compact partners have made strides to fill the affordability gap by incentivizing development of homes with affordable rents through a mix of local, state and federal funds.

The new Housing Action Plan will broaden these efforts by bringing in private industry and nonprofit partners to build financial and community support for a wider range of homes linked to transportation, jobs and other essential services.

With the approval of the new affordable housing funds, Pinellas County and participating municipalities now have 10 projects approved or under construction around the county, which will bring nearly 1,000 new affordable and workforce homes.

Currently, one in three Pinellas households struggle to afford their monthly rent or mortgage, paying more than a third of their income on housing.

The four new affordable housing projects will rent to families that make 80 percent or less of the Area Median Income, or $65,700 per year for a four-person household.

The new developments approved by the commission include Skyway Lofts II at 3800 34th St., St. Petersburg. Blue Sky Communities will build 66 quality apartments adjacent to the Skyway Lofts development, which opened in 2021 in the Skyway Marina District. The total cost of the project is $22.9 million with the county providing $3.4 million in Penny for Pinellas funds and St. Petersburg providing $6.4 million.

Green Mills Group is planning a development for seniors at the corner of Burlington Avenue North and 33rd Street in St. Petersburg. Burlington Post II will offer 75 units for seniors with income levels at or below 80 percent of the AMI, with some units restricted to 60 and 30 percent of the AMI. The new apartments will be located adjacent to the 86-unit Burlington Post in St. Petersburg. Construction site located at corner of Burlington Avenue North and 33rd Street North. The total cost of the project is $28.41 million with Pinellas County providing $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.

Lealman Heights will provide 86 apartments in the heart of the Lealman Community Redevelopment Area for households making 80 percent or less of the AMI.The new apartments will replace 38 older units on the property in need of significant repairs. The developer, SP Pinellas II, 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 total project cost is $23.59 million with Pinellas County contributing $2 million in federal Neighborhood Stabilization funds.

Heritage Oaks, to be constructed by Newstar Development LLC, will offer 80 new apartments for seniors, replacing 48 existing units in the Rainbow Village public housing community, 12455 130th Ave. N, Largo, 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 the AMI. This project will be the first phase of four in the redevelopment of Rainbow Village. The total cost of the project is $28.98 million with Pinellas County providing $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.

The Pinellas County Housing Finance Authority will provide bond financing for Skyway Lofts II, Burlington Post II and Lealman Heights and is the trustee for the land trusts for Skyway Lofts II and Lealman Heights. The housing authority will be a co-developer for the Heritage Oaks project.

In other actions, the county commission recognized the life-saving work of three first responders: emergency medical dispatcher Craig Brown, public safety telecommunicator Joe Motil and emergency medical technician Chris Barnes. See their stories in the video below.

Commissioners also highlighted Mental Health Awareness Month with a proclamation honoring the work of the Pinellas Integrated Care Alliance, which represent the funders of Behavioral Health Services.

The partners collaborate regarding programs, needs and outcomes of the system to ensure the effectiveness of services being provided in Pinellas County.

Partners present for the proclamation included: Linda McKinnon, president and chief executive officer of the Central Florida Behavioral Health Network; Dr. Ulyee Choe, director of the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County; Beth Houghton, chief executive officer of the Juvenile Welfare Board; David Danzig, assistant chief deputy for the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office; and Lourdes Benedict, assistant county administrator. Also in attendance was Siomara Bridges-Mata, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Pinellas County.