The City of Tampa is making significant progress toward its goal of creating 10,000 affordable housing opportunities, having reached approximately 8,300 units through new construction, preservation efforts, and related initiatives.
Mayor Jane Castor highlighted the city’s multi-pronged strategy, which includes both building new units and preserving existing homes for longtime residents. “We’re not going to be able to hit that 10,000 goal by next year,” Castor said, “but certainly I believe in setting the bar as high as possible.”
A key example is East Tampa homeowner Carlton Mallard, whose family has owned their home since 1950. The city’s home rehabilitation program invested more than $147,000 to repair the property after hurricane damage, adding a new roof, updated electrical and plumbing systems, hurricane-rated windows, and air conditioning.
Since 2019, Tampa has added more than 23,000 new housing units, working to address a prior 20,000-unit deficit. About 4,000 of the affordable units counted toward the goal are currently under construction or in development.
Major projects include Rome Yards in West Tampa and the Army/Navy site in North Downtown, each planned for more than 1,000 units, with 70% of units committed to affordable and workforce housing.
The city has also supported infill housing, creating 139 new homes, and assisted more than 400 families through the “DARE to Own the Dream” down payment program. Rental assistance efforts have distributed over $17 million to support about 3,200 renters.
City officials say affordable housing remains essential for building stronger neighborhoods and economic mobility.
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