During a 2023 budget hearing yesterday, Tampa city staff and council members agreed to consider moving millions from solid waste to housing.
After resident outcry about the need for more stable housing in Tampa, Chief of Staff John Bennett told council that the city could consider possibly moving up to $5.5 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to housing.
Before Bennett made his suggestion, Stephanie Poynor, President of the Tampa Homeowners Association of Neighborhoods, pointed out that council could move the millions from solid waste to housing during public comment.
“After listening to public comment and especially the feedback from [Mrs.] Poynor, we know that there’s $5.5 million in ARPA sitting in solid waste,” Bennett told council.
Bennett explained that around midway through the fiscal year, usually right after March, the city does a rate study. He said that after the rate study, if the city concludes that money has been saved in solid waste projects, the money might then instead go to housing.
“And if so, we could put a pin in that [money] saying that anything that can be recovered from that rate study would go to housing by the midterm of the fiscal year,” he said. Bennett added that he was “very confident” that the rate study in March would show that the $5.5 million would be available.
Multiple members of city council supported the proposal.
“I think that’s a great idea,” councilman Guido Maniscalco said before asking about how much money for housing will be coming from the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency budget, which will be discussed in further detail at a meeting on Thursday.
Councilman Gudes also supported the idea, but also was wary of whether or not the money would actually be available for housing in March. “So it’s a chance we’re taking?” Gudes asked.
“I think it’s a theoretical risk, but I think it’s a good one and everyone agrees,” Bennett said, referring to fellow staff who he discussed the idea with.
Gudes brought up rent control, as he has many times, saying that it would help alleviate the rental crisis.
“This [city] refuses to look at rent stabilization as one means that would probably help,” Gudes said. “It wouldn’t hurt the economy, I don’t care what anybody says.”
Mayor Jane Castor, Bennett’s boss, has suggested that rent stabilization would “kill development.” Earlier this year, CL found that Castor’s election PAC was largely funded by developers.
Councilwoman Hurtak said the the extra money for housing is encouraging, but that ideally, the city will find even more. She calculated that currently, around 7% of the city budget is going to housing, but getting that number to 10% would be even better.
“We need to find this extra money and I really appreciate Chief Bennett finding this $5.5 million from solid waste—I’m sorry, [Mrs.] Poynor—for finding it and chief Bennett agreeing, that this is a great way to add more money,” Hurtak said.
Councilman Bill Carlson appreciated the desire of the city to find more funds for housing, but also said that more needs to be done to address affordable housing. “What you want to do is look at crumbs when we’ve been hearing for more than three years that affordable housing is a problem,” Carlson told Bennett.
Carlson pointed out that former Mayor Bob Buckhorn’s administration tore down thousands of affordable housing units, and now the city finds itself in an affordable housing crisis.
“I don’t look at five-and-a-half million dollar opportunity as crumbs, it was an option to give Council an idea to put a pin in that money amount until the rate study was done, Bennett replied to Carlson.
Prior to the council meeting, members of Tampa Bay Community Action Committee (TBCAC) had made a demand for millions in ARPA funding to be moved to housing. During the public comment portion, several members of TBCAC and others spoke out about how the rental crisis is affecting them and people they care about.
“I really respect the public for coming in at all ages and all demographics for sharing,” Bennett said. “That’s why staff is sitting here to listen in real time to the challenges that we’re all facing.”
This article appears in Sep 1-7, 2022.