News & Public Affairs

Tampa and Hillsborough are merging Section 8 housing programs for low-income families listen

08/09/11 Olivia Kabat
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Tags: housing, low income, low and middle income people, Tampa Housing Authority, Hillsborough Affordable Housing Authority, Section 8

The Tampa Housing Authority and Hillsborough County Affordable Housing are merging their housing assistance programs for low-income families.

The city and county are merging their Section 8 programs because of the ongoing economic recession. They say the goal is to provide better service for families in need and to save money. Paula Harvey, director of Hillsborough County’s Affordable Housing Department says merging the programs for low-income housing assistance will also reduce confusion ...

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Pinellas fair housing conference promotes equal rights for all listen

04/11/11 Lenka Davis and Christopher Davis
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Tags: housing, fair housing, affordable housing, HUD, poverty, disabilities

Are you planning to rent an apartment but the landlord does not want you to live there with the kids? Were you ever denied the purchase of a house because your skin color did not fit in the neighborhood? The Fair Housing conference, organized by Tampa Bay Fair Housing Consortium and Pinellas County Office of Human Rights last Friday dealt with equal access to housing.

In April 1968, following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Fair Housing Act was adopted at the federal ...

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Foreclosure Workshop At Tampa Convention Center listen

09/28/09 Concetta DeLuco
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Tags: housing, foreclosures, economy

With foreclosures rates at an all-time high across the nation, hundreds gathered at the Tampa Convention Center on Saturday for a foreclosure prevention workshop.

Karen Brown is sick over the thought that she might lose the first home she has ever owned. “I cannot eat. I have no appetite. My husband. They don’t understand my family. They notice I’m withdrawn from talking. I just don’t want to hear it. If I’m talking about it. I go to a corner by myself. I will cry and they don’t even...

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Tampa Housing Authority has contracted nearly all of its stimulus funding listen

09/04/09 Seán Kinane
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Tags: stimulus plan, kathy castor, housing

The Tampa Housing Authority has committed 92% of the stimulus funds it has been granted. The housing authority and Kathy Castor, who represents much of the city in Congress, made the announcement this morning before taking a bus tour of several projects where the funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act are being spent.

At Stetson University’s College of Law campus in Tampa Friday morning, Castor said that the jobs created by the Recovery Act housing funds...

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Alyssa Katz on the Housing Crisis, Part II listen

07/23/09 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: real estate, housing

The U.S. housing market “appears to be healing”. Those were the words of Lawrence Yun, the chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, speaking after the organization’s new report showed re-sales of homes and condominiums rose 3.6% last month, the highest level since last October.

However, the report did say that distressed properties accounted for nearly a third of such sales. That’s not that different than a month before, with the median price now dragged down to $181,800....

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Some legislators will promote development to fix economy listen

02/20/09 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Politics, economy, development, housing

Earlier this week, some state lawmakers announced that they believe a way to kick start Florida’s economy is by streamlining the permitting process for new development.

The St. Petersburg Times reporting this week that some of the groups pushing for looser permitting include such politically powerful groups as the Florida Home Builders Association, the Association of Florida Community Developers, and Associated Industries.

Barney Bishop is president of Associated Industries, based ...

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State economist: Recession to last another year listen

12/17/08 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Economy, state budget, housing

This morning the Florida House was given sobering news about the state of Florida’s economy.

The upshot, delivered from Legislative Economist Amy Baker was that things won’t be getting better anytime soon. Baker said the key ingredient in Florida’s economy is new construction. But she says that won’t come back until the state deals with its considerable current inventory of available housing.

Baker said she expected the state to actually experience growth in the next year, but it wo...

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Sarasota allocates $600,000 to help halt foreclosures listen

12/10/08 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Economy, housing, foreclosure crisis, Sarasota County

Sarasota County Commissioners yesterday approved $600,000 to give direct financial assistance for families in the county facing foreclosure on their homes.

The funding – which ultimately could rise to $1 million - will be distributed in grants of up to $5,000 through a group of nonprofit organizations in the county.

Last month, deputy administrator Susan Scott said there were approximately 8,000 pending foreclosures in the judicial process and an additional 900 filings occurring monthly...

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Hillsborough plans for Neighborhood Stabilization Program listen

10/23/08 Seán Kinane
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Tags: Housing, HUD, Neighborhood Stabilization

Earlier this year, Congress passed the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. One component is the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. The $3.92 billion NSP gives grants to states and local governments for purchasing homes that are in foreclosure or in danger of being foreclosed upon.

Today, Hillsborough County met about the NSP with housing non-profit groups.

Hillsborough County will receive $19.1 million through the NSP and the city of Tampa will receive $13.6 million. Homes that...

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Athena housing for homeless female veterans listen

10/06/08 Seán Kinane
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Tags: Women military personnel, Athena Program, homelessness, housing

With women playing a greater role in active-duty military operations, comes an increasing problem of homelessness among women veterans. This morning in Ybor City, a ribbon-cutting ceremony spotlighted a transitional housing program for homeless female veterans.

The Athena program, located in a historic brick building on Columbus Drive, will provide transitional housing to 16 homeless female veterans.

Sara Romeo is CEO of Tampa Crossroads, which organized the Athena program.

Sgt. Ma...

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