Pinellas opens first round of Penny for Pinellas affordable housing projects
June 29, 2020 - Pinellas County is now taking applications from developers who want to tap the county's $80 million fund dedicated to expanding affordable housing. The fund uses money from the fourth round of the Penny for Pinellas 1 percent sales tax approved by voters in 2017. The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners approved guidelines for using the Penny funding for housing late last year. The county is looking for a variety of applicants, including developers who specialize in affordable housing and those who traditionally build market-rate developments, as well as municipal and nonprofit partners, a news release said. For more information and to apply online, click here. Applications close at 5 p.m. on Aug. 31, with project review occurring in September and October. Selected projects will go to the County Commission for approval in November. Subsequent application cycles will open as long as funds are available, the county said.