ST. PETERSBURG, Florida — After months of pressure from several groups, the St. Petersburg City Council agreed to explore rent control amid skyrocketing housing prices.
But the Housing, Land Use, and Transportation committee's motion to declare a housing emergency failed Thursday. That would've paved the way for a voter referendum on rent control.
Committee members, who include some city council members, said it's too risky and too difficult given Florida state law.
Some said the city would face legal challenges from landlords and the potential costs from lawsuits would add up. The HLUT committee also voiced concerns about driving away developers from building affordable housing due to rent control.
"We have a crisis and I hear that but implementing something on those who are the good players in this arena to me is very incredibly challenging," Council Member Brandi Gabbard said.
The committee proposed other means of tackling affordable housing, including using $45 million from the American Rescue Plan Act.
But groups pushing for the change, most vocally the St. Petersburg Tenants Union, aren't buying it.
"This is a human right we're talking about. It's our right to housing and we can't just continue to let this happen," Karla Correa, an organizer said.
For months, a coalition of community groups have been pressuring the city to be the first to enact rent control measures.
But the issue of affordable housing concerns neighbors from all over the Tampa Bay area.
Some people who've lived in the region their whole life said they may be forced to move away. Among them is Amanda Adriani, a mother of two who has been in the area since she was 2 years old.
"Nothing here is within our budget," Adriani said.
Adriani's home is being sold, and she said she has until May 1 to find a new space within her budget.
Adriani's husband and youngest daughter have a rare hereditary form of colon cancer. Staying in Tampa means continuing to get proper care and treatment from local doctors.
"To move and have someone take over all that medical care is almost impossible," Adriani said.
While she was able to get federal assistance through OUR Florida, the struggle to find a new home she can afford continues but she knows she's not alone.
"We can't afford for it to get worse," Adriani said.
