Sweat equity: Three new homeowners move into The Grove

Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside hosted a dedication ceremony Thursday at The Grove, an affordable homeownership development on 18th Avenue South in St. Petersburg, welcoming three new families into homes they helped build through Habitat’s sweat-equity program.

The project has become a small but tangible example of affordable homeownership in a city where rising housing costs have increasingly pushed ownership out of reach for many working families.

Erica Soto and her two children were one of three new families to move into The Grove. Soto said the most difficult part of going through Habitat for Humanity’s process was her nerves.

“I’m very anxious, so going in and doing it by myself was challenging,” Soto said.

The process took more than six months before the keys were finally placed in her hand, officially marking her as a homeowner.

When those keys were passed over, Soto said, “It was surreal. It’s finally set in stone. I feel the stars aligned.”

The Grove consists of 11 three-bedroom townhomes built for households earning at or below 80% of the Area Median Income. To keep monthly housing costs affordable, Habitat offers buyers 0% fixed-rate mortgages, no down payment requirements and no private mortgage insurance. Future homeowners also complete education programs focused on budgeting, home maintenance and homeowners association management.

Unlike many affordable housing developments that focus on rental units, The Grove was designed around homeownership.

Habitat for Humanity completed construction in late 2025. By late May, seven of the 11 homes had already been sold, three more were under contract and a buyer had been selected for the final unit.

Mayor Ken Welch, who grew up two blocks from the Grove site and said he used to ride his “three-speed Mustang” bicycle through the neighborhood, said the development represents the kind of housing opportunity that allows longtime residents to remain in the communities they call home.

“It’s important that this remains accessible to folks that grew up in this neighborhood, and these townhomes make that possible,” Welch said.

The Grove sits on land the city transferred to Habitat in 2023 for $10. At the time, the property carried an appraised value of more than $300,000.

The city later invested additional funding into the project through the South St. Petersburg Community Redevelopment Area. Earlier this month, City Council approved nearly $482,000 in CRA funding to help close a financing gap created by Habitat’s decision to sell the homes at affordable prices.

According to city documents, the average household income among buyers is just over 70% of the Area Median Income. Because the homes were sold to lower-income families, Habitat was unable to fully recover its development costs through sales alone.

Combined with the value of the land, public investment in the project totals nearly $790,000.

Supporters say the investment reflects the city’s commitment to expanding affordable homeownership opportunities in South St. Petersburg.

During the June funding discussion, Councilmember Gina Driscoll described The Grove as “homeownership for real people,” while Councilmember Corey Givens called it “a realistic dream for a regular working-class family.”

Thursday’s dedication transformed those policy discussions into something more tangible. The Grove lies within District 7 and is represented by Givens, who recalled the site as once being a “dilapidated, derelict lot.” Givens continued: “This lot has been transformed and has now become homes for multiple families.”

And for Soto, the transformation was a personal investment in her own sweat equity.

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