TAMPA, Fla – As the housing crisis looms, the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council is taking action to address the future of affordable housing.
The TBRPC, in partnership with The Florida Housing Coalition, Forward Pinellas, and The Urban Land Institute Tampa Bay, will be hosting the Resilience and Energy Assessment of Communities and Housing (REACH) conference on May 6, at the Hilton St. Petersburg Carillon Park hotel. The conference will focus on leadership strategies to make affordable housing more sustainable and resilient.
As part of the REACH Conference, leaders will unveil a new analysis of flood risks to affordable housing and discuss ways to set new construction and mitigation goals. Additionally, housing leaders from across Tampa Bay and the region will share new initiatives to increase housing construction, affordability and resilience.
Scheduled speakers include Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council Executive Director Sean Sullivan, St. Petersburg City Council Chair Brandi Gabbard, Florida Housing Coalition CEO and Executive Director Jaimie Ross, Hillsborough County Commissioner Kim Overman, Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse, Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, Pinellas County Commissioners Pat Gerard, Rene Flowers, and Janet C. Long, Solar and Energy Loan Fund Founder and CEO Doug Coward, Sarasota County Sustainability Manager Sara Kane, St. Petersburg City Administrator Rob Gerdes, Pasco County Community Development Assistant Director Hillary Bruno and many others.
WHAT: Resilience and Energy Assessment of Communities and Housing (REACH) Conference
WHEN: May 6, 2022 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
WHERE: Hilton St. Petersburg Carillon Park, 950 Lake Carillon Dr. St. Petersburg, FL 33716
Another key part of the conference will focus on sustainability in affordable housing, including reducing energy bills with weatherization and energy efficiency programs. Leaders will also discuss opportunities to increase funding for housing mitigation in vulnerable communities.
Developing affordable housing is a top priority in Tampa Bay. The City of St. Petersburg has allocated $34.3 million to build affordable units, so that tenants aren’t spending more than 30% of their income for rent. In Tampa, Mayor Jane Castor set a goal of 10,000 affordable apartments by 2027. The conference is supported by a grant from the JP Morgan Chase Foundation.