FAST Clergy Respond to IMAF’s Support of the Gas Plant Redevelopment

We are FAST (Faith in Action For Strength Together), an Interdenominational/Interfaith community of 50
congregations throughout Pinellas County. Over the past 20 years we have called for elected officials to implement certain public service programs including funding a full day of Pre-K for low income families, creation of the disadvantaged worker program to create jobs for ex-offenders, allocating a portion of Pennies for Pinellas funds for affordable housing, APAD (Adult Pre-Arrest Diversion), and many other social programs that benefit the people of our community. These past victories were not easy, popular, nor did they come swiftly.

As a justice organization, we believe in strategic action for massive impact. Our strategies are purposeful and effective in creating change for the people in our community. Over the past three years we have been focusing our attention on housing insecurity, as this has become a global crisis. This crisis is felt most by those who were already struggling to provide the necessities for their families in our local community. We have been calling on Mayor Welch and our city to make affordable housing a priority for
those in our community making 80% AMI or less ($48,000/single adult, $69,000/family of four).

These people are the backbone of our communities that keep our stores operating, work in the emergency medical areas, childcare, service workers, chaplains, etc. Many of whom are migrating out of
our community due to the lack of affordable housing. We are seeing and hearing stories of young people graduating and starting out in their first careers leaving our community due to the lack of affordable housing. Studies are showing the African American community in St. Petersburg has drastically dropped over the past 10 years due to the lack of affordable housing. This is a crisis we must all work together to solve.

As we fight for affordable housing our city leadership continues to seem unmoved by the outcry of the community members. High rises, expensive rental townhomes and condos continue to be approved
driving more people out of the neighborhood and out of our community. City officials and developers say we are building affordable and workforce housing. As new housing pops up the signs that come with them have price points beginning at 600k and 700k. To which we ask, “Affordable for whom?”

Rev. J.C. Pritchett, a close confidant and relative of Mayor Welch, in a recent article, states that “This idea that someone is going to come save the African American community with free housing and free
meals…is un-American, naïve, and immature. This (the Gasplant Redevelopment) is an opportunity to get a piece of the pie by participating in capitalism and being entrepreneurs.” This is a callus view of those struggling most in our economy. Single working parents, service workers, young people just starting out, and those making 80% of AMI or less ($48,000/single adult, $69,000/family of four) are the vast majority of America. None of these groups are seeking “free housing and free meals”, they are
seeking affordability.

Our faith traditions teach us to care for those hurting most in our communities and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We hope our Mayor does not hold the same view that these people are begging for “free housing and free meals”. Choosing to keep people in our community should be more of a priority than the profits of a baseball team. We are calling on Mayor Welch to put people over
profits. We are calling on Mayor Welch to have a plan to create 5,000 affordable (not free) housing units for people making 80% of AMI or less by the end of his first term. This is a doable goal.