State Grant Would Go For Homeless Housing In Pinellas

Operators of Pinellas Hope received a $3 million state grant today to build 50 motel-style units at a tent city that houses homeless people.

The concrete block units will serve as transitional housing for tent residents who are making progress toward becoming independent, said Frank Murphy, president of Catholic Charities, which created and helps to operate Pinellas Hope.

The units will provide shelter for up to a year for people who have found work but can't save enough money for deposits and other expenses to move into a place of their own, Murphy said.

The construction plans are not final, but Murphy said each unit would have a bed, bathroom, closet and small kitchen area with a microwave oven and refrigerator. Construction is expected to begin by the end of the year, he said.

"They're not going to be roomy. They'll be like a small motel room," he said. "But the homeless, the people at Pinellas Hope, will tell you that's fine."

The $3 million state emergency housing grant will be combined with $1 million Pinellas Hope has obtained from the cities of St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Largo, Murphy said.

Meanwhile, construction has begun on five wooden housing units about the size of a tent, but sturdier. Murphy said plans are to build 100 of the 8-by-10-foot units, which have locking doors and are elevated to keep out water.

"They're one step nicer than a tent," he said.

Pinellas Hope opened 10 months ago at the end of 126th Avenue, west of 49th Street North, in mid-Pinellas County, as a seasonal tent city to shelter homeless people and help them with personal needs and finding jobs.

It attracted more than 200 people and, with help of a private donation, was able to stay open through the summer, past its scheduled closing date in April. Murphy said 109 people were at the facility on Thursday.

Bishop Robert Lynch of the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg donated the 10-acre property for the tent city, and is providing another 10 acres at the site for expansion, Murphy said.

With the additions, he said, the facility could care for up to 1,000 people.

"What we're trying to do is build a system that allows us to move people off the street and quickly figure out if they have desire to be independent," he said.

About half of those who come are unable to overcome their problems and end up back on the street, he said.

Murphy said organizers are seeking about $700,000 from Pinellas County to provide social services, such as case workers, desk workers and security. Clearwater agreed Thursday to provide $50,000, and St. Petersburg has committed $250,000, he said.

With winter and the Super Bowl ahead, Murphy said the demand for homeless services is going to increase. He said homeless advocates throughout the Tampa Bay area are stepping up to help.

"It's not just us doing it," he said. "It's the community saying we have to address this issue. There are lots of people doing great work with the homeless."