‘For All, From All’ affordable housing initiative continues to move forward

Just over a year after it was first announced, the City of St. Petersburg’s 10-year comprehensive plan to address housing affordability is making progress, despite some slowdowns related to Covid-19.

The plan, called “For All, From All,” was launched Jan. 1. It expands on existing programs and introduces new solutions for creating more affordable housing options, including multi-family housing, accessory dwelling units and single-family homes. In total, “For All, From All” is projected to impact 7,000 households, and 19,000 residents and will be funded through a combination of public and private sources.

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During Thursday’s Housing, Land Use and Transportation Committee meeting, Neighborhood Affairs Director Rob Gerdes gave a status update on “For All, From All.” He called the goals set for the plan “ambitious and far-reaching,” but said they they are also goals that have the potential of being met. The plan’s initiatives include:

• Creating and preserving 2,400 multi-family units, which would be roughly double the production over the previous 10 years, at an estimated cost of $60 million. A permit is pending for 51 units at The Shores, while permitting is in process for 65 units at the Skyway Lofts/Avery Commons and 20 units at Butterfly Grove. A permit for 65 units at Delmar 745 Apartments has been approved, and a certificate of occupancy was issued in June for eight units at the Preserves at Clam Bayou Phase III. Additionally, 20 units at Whispering Pines and 50 units at Innovare have funding applications underway. An expedited permit review has also been implemented to entice more developers. 

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• Supporting the development of 200 non-subsidized Workforce Density Bonus Units, a zoning strategy to encourage developers to include affordable units. A total of 17 permits for these units have been approved at the Mosaic at Central, and three are in the process of being approved at Jovis Capital’s Bayou Place Apartments.

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• Supporting the construction of 300 accessory dwelling units, also known as mother-in-law suites. So far, this initiative is at seven percent of its 10-year goal, with 27 permits under review and 18 approved. Twenty-one units have received a certificate of occupancy.
• Enabling the purchase of 500 single-family homes for households earning 120 percent of the area median income or below. The initiative is at two percent of its 10-year-goal. Covid-19 has had an impact on this part of the plan due to reduced construction by non-profits and financial challenges for potential buyers. So far, 17 homes have been purchased through this initiative, with five additional closings scheduled. 
• Providing 150 single-family lots for construction of new affordable homes. This part of the plan is at 3 percent toward the 10 year goal in terms of certificates of occupancy and 21 percent of the goal as it relates to providing lots for development. Foreclosures are currently halted due to Covid-19.
• Enabling more than 3,200 single-family homeowners to stay in their homes by remedying code violations through grants and city funding. So far, 119 homeowners have taken advantage of this initiative, putting it at four percent of the 10-year-goal.

Council member Amy Foster praised the progress that’s been made so far, especially in light of the pandemic.

“It’s great to see that in many ways, we’re on track,” she said. “It’s been so much work to get to this point.”