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Hillsborough County cuts affordable housing funding for 2nd straight year

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Published  September 19, 2024 11:16pm EDT
Hillsborough County
FOX 13 News

Affordable housing funding limited in budget

For the second straight year, the Hillsborough County Commission cut funding for affordable housing from $10 million to $2 million.

TAMPA, Fla. - The Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners voted to keep some funding for affordable housing in the proposed FY 2025 budget.

The county’s proposed budget includes $10 million in 'HOPE' funding, named for the local grassroots coalition that fought to pass the funding in 2019.

On Thursday night, commissioners voted to axe the majority of the proposed funding. In a 4 to 3 vote, commissioners decided to lower the HOPE funding to $2 million.

Dozens of residents spoke during a public comment period Thursday night to express their concerns.

Some called on commissioners to vote to strip the budget of the millions of dollars in HOPE funding, arguing that money would be better spent elsewhere.

"I can’t afford housing," one resident said. "If I were to go buy a home, we rent. My husband and I can’t afford a home, and we have good jobs."

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Leaders with HOPE and other advocates in Hillsborough County asked commissioners to keep the $10 million in the HOPE fund.

"It’s a flawed position to put roads over human needs," HOPE Co-President Sheila Simmons Tribble said.

Simmons Tribble says the funding doesn’t go directly to HOPE, but it helps the organization invest in public and private partnerships to bring affordable housing to Hillsborough County.

"Over the past years, we have created 1,100 units," Simmons Tribble said. "These are new units, rehabilitated units, as well as land acquisition."

The funding was introduced into the county’s budget in 2019, but HOPE leaders say there wasn’t a guarantee it would be funded every year.

"The HOPE tax was put through in a way that was extremely irregular," Commissioner Joshua Wostal said. "The previous board that put it in wanted to illegally bind future boards from having the discretion over all the maximum funds that were offered to them."

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Wostal pushed back on approving the HOPE funding. He argued that the state and federal governments don’t fund things like road improvement projects, but they do provide subsidies for things like affordable housing.

"Every project is a great project when it’s with other peoples’ money," Wostal said.

Commissioner Harry Cohen pushed to approve the HOPE funding, saying the $10 million is a pittance compared to the size of the problem that is affordable housing.

"I also agree that we need more money for transportation improvements and infrastructure across the board," Cohen said. "I think it’s our number one issue. But you don’t have to throw everything else out."

Ultimately, commissioners voted to lower the HOPE fund to $2 million, as they did last year.

PREVIOUS: Hillsborough County budget dedicating less money to affordable housing

Advocates were disappointed to not see the full $10 million in funding be approved, saying the housing crisis is only going to continue to get worse.

"Actually choosing to do something better than nothing," former Hillsborough County Commissioner Kimberly Overman said.

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