• $6.2 million in housing assistance for low-income households since 2003
• $5 million in housing assistance for low-income households currently underway
• $9.3 million in emergency rent payments, mortgage payments and board/care expenses to low-income residents since 2002
• $2 million invested for housing facilities serving low-income and/or special needs residents
• The Board of County Commissioners has an affordable housing plan that is a model for our community:
  • Community Housing Trust Fund: Provides a “bank” of funds to help develop and maintain affordable housing including rental units
  • Community Land Trust: Secures land and works with private entities to ensure affordable housing is built on the land and remains there long term
  • Inclusionary Housing: Requires new development to set aside affordable housing units within the project or elsewhere in the community
  • Mobile Home Transition Program: Offers critical rental assistance to help ensure that a government-approved change in a mobile home park’s zoning will not leave residents homeless
    -- This program is the first of its kind in the state.

Help the people who need affordable housing. By working together, we can find workable solutions.

• Call on your state and federal legislators to support affordable housing initiatives.
• Help us identify members in your community who have the resources to contribute to the Housing Fund or who can donate land to the Community Land Trust.
• Suggest that your faith-based organization hold a special collection for local not-for-profits that provide housing for low-income residents. These include organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Religious Community Services (RCS), Pinellas Affordable Living Centers and the Diocese of St. Petersburg. Pinellas County Community Development can help you identify other groups in the community.
• Find ways that your community can provide a strong foundation that foster ideas and solutions. Create a think tank that educates and informs others about the benefits of affordable housing. Its not just a solution for those who need it—it is a necessity for a community to thrive.

Housing Pinellas Flyer