City Celebrates Affordable Housing with Edward White Campus Ground Breaking Ceremony

City Celebrates Affordable Housing with Edward White Campus Ground Breaking Ceremony

Sept. 3, 2024 - The City of St. Petersburg, the St. Petersburg Housing Authority, and partners celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Edward White Campus development project, located at 2323 9th Ave. N. The project features 71 apartments for low-income seniors, along with amenities like a community room, computer lab, fitness center, and a new Evara Health facility.

On hand to speak at the event was Mayor Kenneth T. Welch with a proclamation and Bonnie White Baer, daughter of Astronaut Ed White.

Additional Speakers included:

• Michael Lundy, President and CEO, SPHA,

• James Dates, Chair, SPHA Board of Commissioners

• René Flowers, Pinellas County Commissioner, District 7

• Deborah Figgs-Sanders, Chair, St. Petersburg City Council, District 5

• Richie Floyd, St. Petersburg City Council, District 8

• Rainer Pelzel, Vice President, Valley Bank

• Johnathan Stanton, President, LEMA Construction

This project supports the City of St. Petersburg's Housing Opportunities For All Plan and Mayor Welch's Housing Opportunities For All Pillar For Progress.

About the Housing Opportunities For All Plan

To address St. Pete's growth and rising housing costs, Mayor Welch launched the Housing Opportunities For All Plan in April 2023. The plan is an expansion to the City's existing 10-year Housing Opportunities for All Plan. Enhancements to the plan include support for renters, financial assistance for residents to preserve existing affordable housing and make properties livable for longer, and incentives and strategic funding to produce more affordable units in St. Pete. More about the plan can be found at stpete.org/AffordableHousing.

About the Housing Opportunities For All Pillar For Progress

Housing affordability is a linchpin in Mayor Welch's agenda. Better housing opportunities for all raise the level of daily living and pride among residents, create strong neighborhoods and intentional equity, and create a community - not just a place to eat and sleep. To purposefully impact the community, affordable housing programs provide greater incentives for qualified buyers to achieve first-time home ownership and encourage developers to construct more new housing for low- and moderate-income homeowners. More information can be found at stpete.org/pillars.