TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

City To Aid Low-Cost Housing

ADVERTISEMENT

By ELLEN GEDALIUS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 30, 2007

TAMPA - Low-income people looking for low-cost housing in Tampa should be able to benefit from city initiatives in line for the upcoming year.

That's important because although housing prices are dropping, home ownership remains out of reach for many of the city's residents, said Cyndy Miller, Tampa's director of management and growth services.

The median income for a family of four in Hillsborough County is $52,150, meaning they should be able to afford a house that costs about $156,000.

"How many houses have you seen lately for $156,000?" Miller said.

The median sales price of a house in Hillsborough tops $200,000.

During fiscal year 2008, the city plans to:

• Increase its contribution to the Centre for Women to $700,000. The previous contribution was about $420,000. The Centre for Women runs a program that provides senior citizens an opportunity to rehabilitate their homes by offering grants up to $20,000. The previous limit was $15,000.

• Increase the number of in-fill single-family, low-cost homes. Under the in-fill program, Tampa offers individual lots scattered throughout the city to organizations able to develop them. By the end of fiscal year 2007, 10 were under construction and eight were available for purchase. In fiscal year 2008, the city plans to sell 27 lots.

• Help build more low-cost, multifamily homes. Nearly 300 units were under construction by the end of fiscal year 2007. Plans already are in place for 57 new town houses in the West Shore area and 12 town houses on Waters Avenue. Private developers are building the units, and the city is giving financial subsidies.

• Offer down-payment assistance. The city plans to have $2.3 million available to help qualified residents purchase low-cost homes. Income eligibility guidelines must be met.

Additionally, the city plans to take a step to encourage more developers to build low-cost units. A city ordinance already on the books requires developers to build sidewalks in front of their projects. If a sidewalk is impractical at the location - for example, a protected tree or a stormwater drainage ditch is in the way - developers are required to pay a fee into a sidewalk trust fund.

Some have complained that rule should be waived for developers trying to build low-cost homes. The city council is scheduled next month to consider waiving the fee for developers building projects where sidewalks would be impractical.

Council members seem on board with that.

"That's a great idea," Councilman John Dingfelder said. "It's reasonable to waive the fee."

For information about the city's housing programs, call the city's housing department at (813) 274-7954.

Reporter Ellen Gedalius can be reached at (813) 259-7679 or egedalius@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT