ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Millions of dollars were approved Thursday by St. Petersburg council members to help with affordable housing in the city. The money is a part of the American Rescue Plan Act.
"We are ecstatic to see the city is finally hearing the people," said Karla Correa, an organizer with the St. Petersburg tenants union.
Correa was happy to hear council members approved $34 million for affordable housing.
"Right now, people are rapidly getting evicted, going homeless and we don’t want to see that in our city," Correa added.
There is $45 million split between two different categories - $34 million is for affordable housing and $11 million is for health and social equity.
Council members were hoping to fund three additional categories with the money. Instead, infrastructure, economic recovery, and public health and safety will get no money.
"It is disappointing to see the numbers go to zero on some of those line items, but I think we all understand the situation we’re in today," Councilmember Richie Floyd stated.
Those three categories consisted of funding street and water quality projects.
In the affordable housing category, $10 million will go to new housing projects. One project is the Deuces Rising Townhomes. $6.5 million will build those new townhomes next summer. $3.5 million will go to a fund to construct new units for those who make less than 60 percent of the area's median income.
"We’re glad to see this and we know this would not have been done if it wasn’t for the sustained pressure from the outside," Correa added.
However, members of the St. Petersburg tenants union said this fight is far from over.
"It's a much bigger fight than just the American Rescue Plan Act. We need rent control. We need home guarantee. We are not going to stop until those demands are met," Correa stated.