Tampa activists call for more affordable housing funds in upcoming budget

Today, a Tampa activist group will host a press conference and present demands to city council during a public hearing about the FY 2023 City of Tampa budget.

Tampa Bay Community Action Committee (TBCAC) will focus on housing during the press conference, which starts at 4:30 p.m. at City Hall in downtown Tampa.

The group wants more money allocated from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) to help renters in need, and will once again demand rent control. Mayor Jane Castor presented the budget to city council in August, and it still has to be approved by council.

TBCAC wants $40 million in funds from ARP to be used towards Tampa's Rental and Move-in Assistance Program in 2023, which was not included in the original proposed budget.

The group has also written a resolution for the appropriation of the funds, which will be presented to council today during the meeting, which starts at 5 p.m.

"In light of the ongoing state of emergency in regards to housing and rent in the city, TBCAC is submitting a proposal that demands more funds from the American Rescue Plan," TBCAC wrote in a press release.

TBCAC will also demand that city council continue considering passing a rent control measure to mitigate the rent crisis, along with more money for mental health services and infrastructure improvements in the city.

In August, after months of residents flooding city hall to let council know that they are struggling and going homeless amidst rent gouging by landlords, city council caved to developers and city legal staff and shot down the option for voters to decide if they want rent control on this November's ballot. But there's still a chance that the measure could make it on another ballot, for example, in March of 2023.

"There is no more important priority than housing affordability, which is why we have committed more than $100 million towards housing over the last three years, including more than $26 million in the proposed 2023 budget and another $10 million that the CRA can invest in housing," Communications Director Adam Smith wrote to CL in an email.

Smith said that the city has been looking at and employing almost every avenue to increase access to housing and plans to fund a thorough study of Tampa’s housing needs in the coming year.

"A significant portion of ARPA funding is covering revenue loss that the City experienced during the COVID epidemic, which allows us to meet our financial obligations without increasing the tax rate, trash bills and other fees," Smith wrote. "We are also investing in public safety to keep our neighborhoods safe."

On a flyer, TBCAC called for the community to join in on the event.

"Join us as we hold a press conference to demand city council passes a budget the actually reflects the needs of working people in Tampa," TBCAC wrote.