Mayor Jane Castor and the City of Tampa bringing affordable housing to residents

TAMPA, Fla. - Amid an unprecedented housing crisis, the City of Tampa and Mayor Jane Castor are doing their part to provide more affordable housing.

Mayor Castor, along with the East Tampa Business and Community Development Alliance, held a special ribbon cutting Saturday to celebrate the construction and sale of five brand-new homes built as part of the mayor's initiative to provide 10,000 affordable homes in Tampa by 2027.

It's been over two years in the making, but five brand-new houses on Mobile Avenue in East Tampa are home to five first-time homeowners like Maxine Gregory.

"It has always been a dream of mine to have a home of my own," Gregory said.

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Now that dream is a reality for Gregory. 

"It really is wonderful to see these five homes come up out of the ground and to be able to provide a home for residents in our city. It just warms my heart," Mayor Castor said.

With help from the East Tampa Business and Community Development Alliance, the city was able to buy up property on Mobile Avenue, which used to be a mobile home park and then work with developers and contractors to build the five homes.

"The housing crisis is like nothing we've ever seen. I've been in this business since 1999. Housing is more expensive with far fewer resources and people with the same income levels as many of them have been for several years, so that makes it twice as difficult actually to be able to purchase a home," East Tampa Business & Community Development Alliance, Inc. CEO Dianne Hart said.

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All five homes have three bedrooms and smart home technology, from electronic locks to heating and cooling, which you can control from the palm of your hand.

Currently, the city has more than 3,000 units going through the same design and permitting phase, which will soon become homes like those along Mobile Avenue.

Gregory wants others who have the same dream of becoming a homeowner to know not to lose hope.

"I didn't give up because the people who worked with me, who stood beside me, behind me, they never gave up, so I was encouraged to continue the journey," Gregory said.