The City of Tampa thinks it can help.
A new resource designed to assist renters in navigating the ongoing housing crisis was announced Tuesday by the city’s Housing and Community Development Department.
The Tenant Services Team is made up of two employees who will serve as resources for renters within city limits.
Tampa’s Tenant Services Team will be on-call to assist residents in finding a home within their budget, looking for landlords willing to accept residents with prior evictions, and whatever other housing related questions they may have.
The team will not be responsible for housing assistance according to the press release.
“While most callers inquire about rental assistance, and we unfortunately do not have any more city funds to distribute this fiscal year, we can help in other ways and provide other equally valuable resources,” said Kayon Henderson, Director of Housing and Community Development.
The Tenant Services Team is available through the same number as the Housing Information Line—813-307-5555-and will operate Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Last summer, Tampa City Council voted unanimously to create an ordinance that could establish a tenant office after receiving a public outcry from Tampa residents.
The vote came only months after February’s “rent stabilization workshop” brought more than 100 housing rights activists to Tampa’s City Hall, asking that a state of emergency be declared in an effort to enact rent control.
The council suggested a $400,000 budget for the office, with two full-time staff members. A similar model was launched in Miami-Dade county last March, where the office is able to direct residents to resources to help them with evictions and discrimination.
It also holds landlords accountable for the counties Tenant’s Bill of Rights, that defines renters rights and prevents discrimination by a landlord towards tenants using public assistance for housing.
Tampa’s own Tenant’s Bill of Rights—which was enacted last March—also prohibits discrimination by a landlord toward tenants who use public assistance for housing. Though St. Petersburg’s City Council recently repealed its Tenants Bill of Rights following Gov. Ron DeSantis’s signing of HB 1417, the fate of Tampa’s bill has yet to change.
Less than a week after the creation of its ordinance, the City of Tampa announced its new Housing Information Line, originally available from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
In the first six months in operation, the Housing Information Line received over 2,300 calls, and has reportedly decreased in calls since.
As of July 17 this year, the housing line has been absorbed into the Tenant Services Team, and received 51 calls within its first week.
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This article appears in Jul 27 – Aug 2, 2023.