Tampa City Council hears concerns about foreclosures and the bad economy listen

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Homeowners who are struggling to make mortgage payments and keep their homes finally got a break yesterday when Congress neared final agreement on landmark housing legislation.

The federal package – to be voted on by the Senate within days and then signed by the President - should be received well here in Florida, the 2nd largest state in the country in the number of foreclosures.

Cynthia Miller is the Director of Growth Management and Development Services with the city of Tampa. She told the Tampa City Council today at least for those families that the city has helped in their down payment assistance programs for the past 3 ½ years , there have happily been NO foreclosures.(roll tape#1 o.q.”Sharon has always had them”)

That would be Sharon West, the city’s manager of Land Development Coordination.
Miller said she didn’t anticipate that Tampa will have the same types of problems with foreclosures as many other parts of the country are (roll tape#2 o.q.”of certain streets”)

City Councilmember Linda Saul Sena said she nevertheless had concerns with the struggling economy, which she contended will only get worse over the next year (roll tape#2 o.q.”compounded”)

Miller said she knew of a few services provided by social service providers (roll tape#2 o.q.”other not for profits”)

Council Chairman Thomas Scott said he was pleased to hear that those working with the city on mortgage payments have not been affected by the subprime crises, but said he knows of thousands of foreclosures in Hillsborough County, and asked Cindy Miller what the federal bill just passed by the House and soon to be signed by President Bush would have to offer cities like Tampa . (roll tape#4 o.q.”be allocated”)

Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena said in the near future she wanted to know what the Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County strategies were with contending with the effects of the deteriorating economy and foreclosure crises. (roll tape#5 o.q.”we need to do “)

The Council agreed that Miller said she would come back with her year end report in October to discuss the situation with housing and the homeless.