TAMPA, Fla. — As Tampa continues to grow, the city is seeing issues with affordable housing options — even for long-time residents.
Ernest Braxton has had a rough couple of years. He lost his wife of 50 years, battled COVID twice, and was forced to leave the East Tampa home he had lived in since 1988 after a tree fell on the roof.
Now, the East Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency is helping Ernest turn things around by giving him a chance to move back into that home.
The agency has budgeted nearly $2.5 million toward housing affordability and rehabilitation initiatives in an effort "to provide direct support to residents," CRA wrote in a release.
Through the program, people like Ernest can apply for up to $40,000 per household to put toward anything from major structural repairs to exterior and landscaping upgrades.
CRA even implemented a specific tree trimming grant program to help homeowners and tenants cut down overgrown and unsafe trees before storms and winds create a safety hazard.
Homeowners with severely dilapidated properties will be able to apply for assistance to demolish the existing structure and rebuild it.
Ernest joined CRA for a news conference on Friday, where he expressed nothing but gratitude for the agency and other community leaders for helping him get back in his home.
"I thank and praise God for all ya'll today," he said.
He explained that there are a lot of seniors in his neighborhood in the same predicament as him and he hopes the program can help their community stay together.
“Affordable housing is a top priority for the City. The CRA Board, along with Mayor Castor, are laser-focused on finding solutions to the housing challenges facing our community," East Tampa CRA Manager Cedric McCray said in a statement.
“Home prices continue to rise in East Tampa,” Council Chairman Orlando Gudes, who serves as a CRA Board member, added. “We need to ensure that everyone in Tampa is able to live in the neighborhood they want to. That includes out-of-the box thinking and creative solutions like these grants to help people stay in their homes."
