Neighborhood News Bureau

Category: Government & Public Affairs

Housing projects in Pinellas County prove to be difficult for nonprofits

By Kairo Munoz

As unhoused individuals struggle with the loss of their livelihoods, nonprofits and activists push for housing reform, despite facing significant pushbacks.

As the enactment date for Gov. Ron DeSantis’ House Bill 1365 approached, law enforcement and homeless organizations prepared for incoming risks.

The bill bans public sleeping and camping, with another section set to be enacted in January 2025, allowing complaints to local governments if issues are not resolved within five business days.

With the assistance of the Homeless Leadership Alliance, Pinellas Continuum of Care erected a task force to confront challenges brought on by HB 1365.

However, preparations were delayed due to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, as Florida focused on repairing damage caused by heavy rains, floods and winds.

“The anti-camping legislation really kind of went under the radar because we were so focused on the storms that arose,” said Nicholas Carey from the HLA board of directors, “but the reality is it just has the likelihood of impacting even more people now that might be struggling with being unhoused for the first time in their lives.”

Carey said task force meetings aimed to address harmful policies and maximize limited resources for unhoused populations.

Gulfport City Council member April Thanos joined the CoC’s task force in April to tackle the shortage of shelter space and funding. She said the state’s $10 million allocation for these expenses is nothing short of a “drop in the bucket” compared to the actual costs local governments face.

Further compounding this problem was Gulfport’s enactment of a time-strict version of HB 1365, operational between 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

According to Thanos, the enactment of this local ordinance stemmed from a misunderstanding of the city’s compliance with the house bill, now resulting in two different, but similar, laws.

For Gulfport, Thanos pointed out how it’s not like St. Petersburg, where the city engages in housing projects, offering rooms and apartments to unhoused people. Instead, Gulfport must rely on the help of nonprofit thrift stores and shelters like Goodwill and St. Vincent de Paul.

Shelters like Pinellas Hope, operated by the Catholic Charities Diocese of St. Petersburg, faced evacuation orders during both hurricanes. Pinellas Hope Director Joe Pondolfino said that most of the residents took refuge in Largo High School and Palm Harbor University High School.

Upon returning, Pondolfino found all 159 of their tents destroyed. In addition, more than 50 trees were tumbled by high winds and three vehicles were found to be completely flooded in the parking lot.

Due to Hurricane’s Helene and Milton, as many as 50 trees were dislodged from the ground in front of the Pinellas Hope shelter. Some had fallen on top of rooftops, while others were uprooted on the stone paths and concrete sidewalks. Residents will have to contend with little to no shade for the summer. (Photo by Joe Pondolfino)

To account for these damages, CCDSP established a disaster relief fund. A move welcomed by Pondolfino as the shelter had run out of deficit and had been looking to the community to help keep the shelter afloat, especially with the ongoing anti-public sleeping and camping ban.

“[HB 1365] raises awareness of the need for more services,” Pondolfino said. “[Pinellas Hope] has become a focus point of the homeless in our area and the services needed to get them helped.”

Pondolfino said that he doesn’t know how far law enforcement will go in carrying out this law, but he wants to focus on providing services to those who need them.

On the other hand, Thanos has been raising awareness among homeowners about FEMA benefits, warning that repairing without a permit could lead to higher costs and cause the city to lose flood insurance eligibility and discounts.

Furthermore, FEMA’s 50% rule, a regulation by the National Flood Insurance Program, covers improvements made on a structure if the costs were to exceed 50% of the property’s market value, not including the land. This would require the homeowner to issue a permit and bring the property into compliance with the Florida Building Code and the community’s floodplain management regulations.

Even then, some people may not end up qualifying for FEMA’s housing assistance or may find trouble in finding a place that accepts FEMA vouchers. Thanos said that people may feel financially stressed, as they may still be paying a mortgage for a house they cannot physically live in on top of having to rent a place to stay.

Winds destroyed Pinellas Hope shelter’s ‘tent city.’ There were as many as 159 tents that were lost, each costing about $80, amounting to over $12k of damage. This does not account for the wooden platforms, 50 of which were destroyed, and all other expenses caused by Hurricane Helene and Milton. (Photo by Joe Pondolfino)

Thanos said she had been trying to convince city council to add accessory dwelling units, arguing that it may help with the housing crisis and could provide a place for people whose houses were flooded, but it was all to no avail, as “there hasn’t been much inclination [from city council] to want to deal with even the easiest solutions.”

“They haven’t been willing to even discuss it,” Thanos said. “I’ve had several people come and talk to us about the benefits of it, but they are not interested.”

Thanos isn’t the only person attempting to offer solutions to the unhoused community. Carey had been in the running for District 3 St. Petersburg’s City Council on a progressive platform, promising rent control, tenant protections and accessible housing.

Carey had taken part in protests pressuring city hall to enact rent control around February and August of 2022. He said that the problems concerning the housing crisis stem from real estate letting the market decide the price of what should be a tenable basic need.

“The reality is that people will pay whatever it takes to keep themselves safe,” Carey said. “And so that just continues to drive prices upward.”

Furthermore, Carey highlighted that the housing crisis problem had grown worse around the pandemic, as folks coming in from higher paying areas of the country move to Florida, further increasing house prices.

In response to this, Carey has been championing the concept of social housing, which would allow the government to directly own housing, and allow homeowners to pay only 30% of their income. On top of that, Carey highlighted that developers need to be held accountable and pay their fair share of impact fees instead of leaving most of it up to taxpayers.

Forward Pinellas, a countywide organization overseeing transportation, land use and redevelopment, is working on various projects across the city. Its executive director, Whit Blanton, expressed support for the Housing Action Plan, which aims to build 10,000 housing units in Pinellas County over the next decade.

“The more housing supply we build, the more affordable housing will become in time,” Blanton said. “As newer homes get built […] older ones will be freed up, and older housing is affordable housing, generally.”

According to Blanton and other housing advocates, the fight for housing rights and homeless services remains an uphill battle, with a long road still ahead.

December 17, 2024
St. Petersburg navigates political divides after 2024 presidential election

By Abby Duke

The 2024 presidential election between U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump and current Vice President Kamala Harris has left more than just political tensions in its wake. As the results pave the way for Trump to return to office in late January 2025, the contentious outcome has fractured friendships, strained family ties and created tense workplaces. Americans now face the challenge of navigating an increasingly deep political divide after Trump’s return to power.

For 22-year-old Haley Dickey, a server at Streamsong Golf Resort in Central Florida, the fallout of the contentious election has made her workplace an uncomfortable battleground. The tension stems not from her job performance, but from her political beliefs, she said.

“I’ve been judged for my decision to vote for President Trump,” Dickey said. “It feels like people see me as a vote and not as a person. It’s made going to work a lot harder.”

Dickey said that she has faced subtle but noticeable pushback from some colleagues.

“It’s exhausting,” she said. “I try to focus on doing my job, but it’s hard when you feel like you’re walking on eggshells.”

Dickey’s experience mirrors a broader national trend. A survey conducted by the American Psychological Association in August revealed that a third of adults report a strain in family relationships due to the current political climate.

Susan MacManus, a professor emeritus of political science and political analyst for ABC Action News, sees a growing connection between misinformation and the erosion of interpersonal trust, she said.

“When deciding on who to vote for, it’s really a matter of your education, income, personal circumstances and your party affiliation,” MacManus said.

MacManus emphasizes that political identity has become more deeply ingrained in personal identity.

“It’s a trend we’ve been seeing for some time,” MacManus said. “People don’t want to communicate with those who differ from them, and that’s creating social and familial rifts.”

Navigating the outcome of this election, MacManus highlighted an outlier— a factor that influenced many voters’ decisions.

“People generally voted most based on the economy,” MacManus said. “When looking through exit polls, it can be seen [that] there were many more working-class voters as well.”

Across the country, these divisions are playing out in households, on social media and in the workplace. Families have become estranged, friends have parted ways and some work environments, like Dickey’s, have been stirred by the election results.

“Co-workers I used to joke with are distant now,” Dickey said. “It’s like everything’s been colored by the election, even if we’re not talking about it outright.”

Similarly, Dickey’s co-worker, 32-year-old Steven Quinones, has faced an opposite polarization at work. Waking up to the outcome of the election, Quinones thought it best to break ties with friends of opposing viewpoints, he said.

“I chose to end my outside relationship with three friends from work,” Quinones said. “It wasn’t about Republican versus Democrat, but the man they voted for.”

Quinones, of Puerto Rican descent, said he was worried for his family members who came to America seeking a stable future, along with the women in his life who could be affected by abortion laws under a new administration.

“Those co-workers were close friends, but I had to do what I thought was best,” Quinones said. “There is just too big of a difference in our values.”

Although this riff in relationships has brought discourse at Streamsong Golf Resort, co-workers Dickey and Quinones have remained respectful amongst the opposition.

“I could never be rude to those I have cut off or let differing mindsets get in the way of our job,” Quinones said.

MacManus said she believes there is hope for healing, but it will require concerted effort from individuals and institutions alike.

“We need to get back to basics: civil discourse, empathy and
understanding,” she said.

Still, MacManus warns that reversing the polarization will not be quick or easy.

“These divides didn’t form overnight, and they won’t be fixed overnight either,” she said. “But we can’t give up, relationships and communities depend on it.”

For her part, Dickey is trying to find ways to navigate her own divided workplace.

“I’ve started focusing on what I have in common with my co-workers,” she said. “We all want the same things—happiness, stability and respect. That’s what I’m trying to remember.”

The road to healing may be uncertain, but for many Americans like Dickey and Quinones, the effort to rebuild relationships in the shadow of political division is worth it.

“At the end of the day, we’re all human, and the world keeps spinning no matter what,” Dickey said.

As the nation reflects on the election aftermath, the question looms: Can Americans find a way to coexist despite their differences? For experts like MacManus, the answer lies in rediscovering shared humanity.

“It starts with listening,” she said. “Only by hearing each other’s stories can we begin to rebuild those relationships.”

December 11, 2024
Statewide ban on public homeless encampments spurs controversy

By Kairo Munoz

Following two back-to-back hurricanes in October, the city’s law enforcement, shelters and homeless organizations cope with the enactment of House Bill 1365.

With the law being touted as a violation against the rights of the unhoused community, critics worry about the negative consequences that come with enforcing it.

Signed into law by the state’s governor on March 20 and enacted on Oct. 1, the statewide mandate prohibits local governments from allowing homeless residents to sleep on public property such as sidewalks, streets and parks.

The other half of the bill will go into effect at the beginning of next year, allowing residents, business owners and even the attorney general to submit an injunction against the city, along with an affidavit as proof that the problem has gone unresolved for more than five business days.

In addition, the bill allows counties and municipalities to vote on whether to temporarily allocate public property for camping and sleeping for upward of a year, with exception to “fiscally constrained” counties. The Florida Department of Revenue does not consider Pinellas County to be fiscally constrained.

Any designated public property will be monitored by the state’s Department of Children and Families, keeping in check that all basic and necessary standards and procedures that ensure safety, sanitation and access to mental health and substance abuse treatment are being followed lest the property be decertified.

Factoring in the cost to upkeep the property alongside the cost of its designation alone, among other expenses, has left critics concerned about the amount of money required just for local governments to comply with this mandate.

Serving both Pinellas and Pasco County, the Public Defender’s Office, Sixth Judicial Circuit, additionally expressed concern over the criminalization of homeless residents, highlighting a disparity where contributors lack the funds to provide the homeless with resources as taxpayers’ money is being used to comply with HB 1365’s demands.

“Until all of the stakeholders are properly funded to adequately address the needs of the unhoused community in Pinellas County, and throughout Florida, this bill could potentially put people in the criminal justice system who have never been and should never be there,” said the Public Defender’s Office, Sixth Judicial Circuit, in a statement to the Neighborhood News Bureau. “It will put an immense strain on law enforcement, the jails, as well as taxpayers, as the jails’ costs are directly covered by them.”

Despite the distress this law has had on critics, St. Petersburg Police’s Sergeant Todd M. Hancock of the Police Assisting the Homeless unit argued that too many people were misinterpreting the law.

“What I’m most worried about is people not fully understanding it [HB 1365], and then thinking that it’s a broad brush for anybody sleeping anywhere in the public view, which is not what it says,” Hancock said.

The PATH unit, of which Hancock manages as its third supervisor since its inception in 2019, is composed of six officers, a case manager and a social worker. Hancock said he recognizes the unit as the closest thing St. Pete’s police department will have to a non-enforcement unit. It serves as the go-to dispatch group for matters involving homelessness, portraying a supporting presence in the unhoused community.

Before Oct. 1, any unlawful encampments were considered ordinance violations, but as of now it can be a Florida state statute violation. Whether law enforcement relies on one or the other is a matter of jurisdiction.

Hancock said he prefers not to put either ordinance or statute into use and has spoken to briefing patrols about the enactment of this law.

“We’re not walking around trying to kill mosquitoes with sledgehammers,” Hancock said. “We’re not here to overdo things.”

Instead, Hancock opts to offer the homeless a helping hand by providing them with information on nearby shelters where they can receive the care and help they need.

Kathleen Beckman, the chair of the executive committee of the Pinellas Continuum of Care, worked alongside the Homeless Leadership Alliance of Pinellas to erect a task force designated to confront foreseeable challenges spurred by the ratification of the bill.

Throughout the summer, Beckman’s task force discussed alternatives to expand shelter space, such as the use of portable classrooms and even considered starting their own version of Dignity Bus, a mobile emergency shelter located within eastern Florida that provides sleeping quarters to the homeless. Beckman said that the major problem with these ideas was finding providers willing to fund and staff such projects, along with following through with many code requirements so that they’re up to par.

As of now, Pinellas County’s 2024 Point in Time Count report highlighted a 7% decrease in sheltered individuals and a 12% increase of unsheltered persons compared to last year.

Beckman said that the number of homeless people is likely to go up thanks to Hurricane Helene and Milton, which she said may have caused city officials to put HB 1365 concerns to the wayside.

Frustrated with the likelihood of rising homelessness, Beckman addressed how the problem was further being compounded by the state’s refusal to prioritize mental health and substance abuse, also highlighting the consequences of the Sadowski Fund raids as the contributor to the state’s housing crisis.

“There is not enough low- and moderate-income housing in the whole state, and in particular, in Pinellas County,” Beckman said. “We are at a huge deficit of affordable housing for our type of workforce, and our type of workforce is tourism and service industry, and those jobs do not pay high wages.”

The next Task Force meeting is pending, and even now, many still worry with the anticipation of the enactment of the bill’s second half on Jan. 1, 2025.

November 21, 2024
Sinking in Sewage

Downtown St. Petersburg viewed from the bay. Photo by Richard Boore.

Sinking in Sewage: Can St. Pete Clean Up It’s Act?

By Krystel Knowles

A sewage spill of roughly 200 million gallons of raw and partially treated sewage ended up the Tampa Bay area in 2015 and 2016. This incident brought to light that if something isn’t done to the infrastructure the view that makes St. Pete so beautiful could end up being something people run away from.

St. Pete may have been pegged as the first green city in the state in 2008 but now it’s looking pretty brown. Mayor Rick Kriseman signed an executive order in July 2017 to transition the city to clean and renewable energy. Despite those efforts, the popular vacation destination is making headlines for the wrong reasons. All over the state during large storms,overflowing sewage along with boil water notices have become the norm. Also water contamination at popular fishing locations is leaving people feeling unsafe eating their catch of the day.

According to court documents from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection VS City of St. Petersburg entered an agreement to construct and operate an additional lift station, (estimated cost $7.5 million). In addition to that, the City has to submit long term capital improvement plan to meet environmental compliance, along with routine maintenance of wastewater transmission systems and more. The documents state the city commits to spending 16 million dollars per year on an annual basis starting in July 1, 2018 until the year 2023 along with other very specific commitments.

So far, progress seems slow and just about every month the City St. Petersburg issues a wastewater or reclaimed water discharge notification. On Oct 15, 2019 about 660 gallons ended up in a manhole and ended up in Boca Ciega Bay. In September about 9.500 gallons discharged and 7,600 gallons flowed into Tampa Bay. Mayor Kriseman believes the continuous spills do not qualify as a crisis, according to his State of the City on February 23.

But for some politicians running in the November election, on Trenia Cox whose running to be a council member for district 5 seems to disagree. Cox says she would focus on the budget that would be part of the solution because by now the City’s spent about 360 million in this problem.

“I want to create an annual discount on utilities for creating environmentally friends households, perhaps change leaking pipes, fossil fuel reduction and things how owners can do to help. For renters, they can conserve water usage,” Cox explains “we may want to even consider re-opening the plant that closed.”

Deborah Figgs-Sanders who is running for the same seat, also promed to address the city’s environmental preservation and the water sewer concerns.

Another potential City Council member running for district 7, Eritha “Akile” Cainion, she says the sewage issue is not a natural disaster, it was man made and many of the City’s decisions have to be reversed.

“I would cap development because it’s straining infrastructure. The residents utility bills [were] raised, which is not the correct thing to do. We need to be taxing the developers and not the people,” Cainion explains, “They (developers) don’t have any interest in what happens to the city, if they have a stake in the city, they will invest in fixing the infrastructure.”

November 5, 2019
Affordable Housing Crisis Hits Hard in St. Petersburg’s Districts 5 and 7

Affordable Housing Crisis Hits Hard in St. Petersburg’s Districts 5 and 7

By Hope Garza

Mark Moore, a resident of St. Petersburg, Florida, experienced first-hand the effects of the affordable housing crisis. At 20-years old, Moore gained custody of his five nieces and nephews and found that even small apartments in St. Petersburg cost too much for him to afford.

Moore lived in uncomfortable housing situations with his family until he was accepted into the Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties homeownership program. He was able to build an affordable home of his own and provide solace for his family.

Another resident, Myranda Monroe, was living in a mold-infested apartment in St. Petersburg with her two children. Monroe was involved in a vehicle accident and had to return to work as a nurse, despite her extensive injuries, to support her family. Monroe believed she was out of options.

Upon being contacted by Habitat of Humanity, Monroe worked alongside others to build her own home and provide a safe, healthy environment for her children. Monroe’s children were happy to have a place of their own after the previous housing difficulties.

According to Ken Rush, Executive Vice President of Operations for Habitat for Humanity in Pinellas and West Pasco Counties, the concern for affordable housing is widespread throughout St. Petersburg.

“Specifically in Districts 5 and 7, which comprises most of south St. Petersburg, the majority of the housing stock is over fifty years old with anything new being built generally unaffordable for individuals/families either at or below one-hundred percent area median income,” stated Ken Rush.

Habitat for Humanity works to increase the availability of affordable housing in Districts 5 and 7, and beyond. The non-profit is also hoping to make change through conversations with local government.

“Candidates need to be able to address ways to help nonprofits and for-profits alike in ways to reduce costs, break down the zoning regulations and make the affordable housing agenda a priority for all of those persons who are adversely affected by this dilemma,” Rush added.

William Livsey, Vice President of Rent Control Coalition in St. Petersburg, also has concerns about affordable housing and commented on the inability for residents to afford housing without making upwards of forty-thousand dollars per year. Though there are available jobs for residents, but Livsey believes the cost of living is simply too high.

The Rent Control Coalition focuses on attending local events, hosting fundraisers and going door-to-door to gain the support of residents. One goal of the group is to put pressure on the city council to address affordable housing concerns. Livsey is proposing a one-year rent freeze for apartment tenants.

The City of St. Petersburg has a ten-year housing plan in place that will begin in 2020. The city hopes to accomplish a list of things, including developing additional family units for low-to-moderate-income households and allowing homeowners to remain in their homes by resolving code violation issues with city funds.

According to the City of St. Petersburg, “the largest and most impactful piece of the plan will leverage approximately $60 million of city funding for the construction and preservation of 2,400 affordable multi-family units.”

Stephanie Lampe, Senior Housing Development Coordinator for the City of St. Petersburg, is asking for candidates to continue moving forward with the current ten-year plan proposed by the city.

“Based on American Community Survey data, nearly forty-three percent of owner-occupied households in St. Petersburg currently spend over thirty percent of their income on housing and fifty-two percent of renter households spend over thirty percent of their income for housing. For low-income and senior households these percentages are even higher,” Lampe said. “This has an impact on the community since we know that when people have stable, accessible, affordable homes, their lives and health outcomes dramatically improve.”

On October 19, 2019, the democratic city council candidates met for an affordable housing forum in St. Petersburg. Candidates addressed public concerns regarding the housing crisis and presented steps they would take if they are elected during the November general election.

One of the District 7 candidates, Eritha Akilé Cainion, is concerned that the ten-year housing plan proposed by the city would take too long and believes there needs to be more immediate action taken.

“This stuff has to happen today because people are sleeping on park benches right as we have this discussion,” Cainion said.

One way Cainion hopes to address resident concerns is by eliminating the growth of additional luxury residences in south St. Petersburg.

“With all of the luxury apartment development that is happening, it brings up the rent of everybody else in those surrounding areas. So it doesn’t help anybody for those luxury apartments to be there except for the developers themselves and the politicians that work for them,” Cainion said.

Cainion is promoting rent control and has goals to make sure no residents in her district are paying more than twenty-five percent of their income toward rent. Her one-year plan includes making sure that any developer hoping to build in St. Petersburg shares her goals regarding affordable housing and is willing to invest in the community.

One of the District 5 candidates, Trenia Cox, is planning to approach the affordable housing crisis at a different angle. Cox has goals to focus on what housing programs already exist, provide residents with the details and criteria needed to understand these programs and work with developers to provide more affordable housing options.

“I am not for rent control, but I certainly am for having the realtors and developers come to the table…and see how we can do a balancing act. Because we want to make sure we have that fair share of housing for those that can only spend thirty percent [of their income],” Cox said.

Resources:

http://www.stpete.org/housing/affordable_housing.php

November 4, 2019
Recycling deficits in St. Petersburg Need Solutions from Elected Officials

Recycling deficits in St. Petersburg Need Solutions from Elected Officials

By Nageena Laing, Kelsey Knight and Karen Arango

The City of Saint Petersburg touts itself as being a “Green City,” mobilizing campaigns to support eco-friendly ventures, green movement initiatives, and reducing waste whenever possible. The city campaigns for all its residents to take part in the fight against climate change, including its recycling program, which mobilized in 2015. While these efforts seem impressive and innovative, the city is failing a number of its residents by denying them the ability to participate in the city-wide recycling pick-up program.

The neighborhoods currently receiving services in the City of Saint Petersburg are single-family households and condominiums with less than four units. Interviewing Jeff Donnel from the Sanitation department, he explained the average amount of participants in this group are about 65 percent, about 72-76,000 participants. This number sounds ideal, except it does not include the already large population of condominiums or townhomes in its services. According to a 2016 Tampa Bay Times article, condo development is the future of population growth for the city; land development becomes sparser while the city’s population continues to grow at a faster pace. In response to this fact, Mr. Donnel explained there should not be a problem for condos and townhomes who want to recycle because they can utilize the drop-off/brush sites throughout the city or hire companies like Waste Pro or ConEx to pick up recycling.

Drop-off Site Inconveniences

These solutions proposed by Mr. Donnel present a few problems. When speaking with a condo resident of St. Pete’s District 7, Ms. Kristin Reilly pointed out how hard it would be to drive once or twice a week to a drop-off location, considering work schedule conflicts with the operating hours of these sites and how far away drop off sites can be from condo or townhome residents. For Ms. Reilly, while her work schedule allows her to get to a drop-off site before closing hours, she lives at least 15 minutes away from the closest site. While looking at the city’s drop-off site map, there are only 2 drop-off sites in all of South St. Pete, which encompasses the entire District 5 and 7 communities. Ms. Reilly and many community members would have to drive that long or longer just to drop off their recycling. Ms. Reilly also pointed out the inability of many of her neighbors to drop off their recycling because they do not have a vehicle or are too feeble to do it on their own.

Recycling Costs

As to Mr. Donnel’s other point about hiring outside companies, residents who currently receive recycling services have a set rate included in their utility bill’s garbage fee. The fee overall is less than $28 a month for both garbage and recycling pick-up. When speaking to one of the outsourced company spokespersons, Tracy Meehan from Waste Pro, she stated how it would cost more for condos and townhomes to hire outsourced companies for recycling than if they were given the same services by the city. The incentive is not there for condos and townhome HOAs to hire these companies if the price is going to be more expensive than the low rate the city would offer.

The solution would be simple if the city could expand its program to include condos and townhomes, but Mr. Donnel explained this is not possible. The recycling company the city is currently partnered with, Waste Connections, is running at a monthly deficit and cannot expand its current program because it is already operating at full capacity. This deficit issue is not just a problem for the city of Saint Pete. There is a huge problem for recycling businesses all around the country. Almost all recycling facilities are operating at capacity with a deficit at the end of every month, and these companies cannot expand anymore because the auditing prices are so low, meaning there is not enough money in the industry for businesses to afford larger spaces.

China’s Policy Change

The money issue can be traced back to China’s 2017 policy change. According to Wired.com, up until recently, China had been buying about 40 percent of US paper, plastics, and other recyclables. The trans-Pacific waste route has now ground to a halt. In July 2017, China told the World Trade Organization it no longer wanted to be the end-point for foreign garbage since the country needed to cope with its own mountains of waste. Since January 2018, China has rejected 2 dozen different recycling materials, such as plastic and mixed paper unless they meet strict rules pertaining to contamination. The imported recycling must be clean and unmixed—a standard too hard to meet for most American cities. Mr. Donnel explained how this ban has caused a very low return for companies recycling anything other than aluminum and a change in revenue is not expected anytime soon.

Outsourcing Solutions

With no expansion in sight for the city’s current recycling program, it is imperative that our elected officials, in the upcoming November elections for District 5 and 7, take a hard look at resident needs and bring this to the table to discuss and find solutions. While there can be more than one solution, a suggestion at this point could be for the city to hire one of these outsource companies to service condos and townhomes and bill the same low rate to those residents. Either way, all residents deserve easy and equal access to St. Pete’s recycling program if the “Green City” wants to keep true to its name.

November 2, 2019
Progressive St. Petersburg… and its dividing line
Progressive St. Petersburg… and its dividing line

Lavish funding continues to fuel St. Petersburg’s dynamic downtown growth, while residents and business owners in Districts 5 & 7 come up empty-handed.

by Richard Boore and Kate Reuter

Downtown St. Petersburg viewed from the bay receives most of the City’s investments, leaving a few districts impoverished. Photo by Richard Boore.

There’s no doubt about it, the Burg is Booming! A sleeping giant has awoken, and the City of St. Petersburg boasts a ‘flourishing’ greater downtown area, as the City’s website reads “Revitalization of the downtown core continues with projects that include new retail shops, restaurants, research facilities, residential towers, craft breweries, and cultural facilities.”

Just this year, the city reported nearly 20 major new construction/redevelopment projects in play within District 6, (which boundaries include the heart of downtown St. Petersburg, extending from the highway to the bay, and from Old Northeast to Pinellas Point Drive South). Some of the more exciting developments published on the city’s website include projects like:

– Nearly completed, luxury high-rise condo building, One, crowned tallest building in St. Pete.

– An 8,740,000 square foot redevelopment plan for Tropicana Field, promoting “expansion” of Booker Creek, while “enhancing” Campbell park.

– An $87 million dollar budget (initially $50 million) redevelopment of the St. Pete Pier, “the city’s newest waterfront park and attraction.”

Breakthrough improvements are not only exclusive to our downtown core though. Gentrification and vibrant growth within District 6 have made their way up 1st Avenue, giving birth to unique localities with captivating names like “The Edge District” and “The Warehouse Art District.”

St. Petersburg, however, is not District 6. While city officials focus their attention on the main attraction, other citizens and community activists claim that their struggles and calls for support continue to fall on deaf ears. Bordering to the West and visibly set apart by I-275 lies District 7, while just south, on the opposite side of Lake Maggiore is District 5; both mostly segregated, low-income neighborhoods with a long history of exclusion and systematic oppression.

A string of shops and vacancies along Grand Central District off of 24th Street. Photo by Richard Boore.

It wasn’t long ago that Jim Crow discrimination was enforced in our city, and African American residents were held to the confines of South St. Petersburg. In fact, until the late 1950s, African Americans weren’t to set foot outside of their community for anything other than work. North Shore Pool was a “white only” pool. Spa Beach was a “white only” beach. Even the beloved and symbolic green benches of St. Petersburg were “white only” benches.

It is probably difficult to imagine segregation within the bubble of a progressive city like St. Petersburg; a seemingly racially integrated city, fueled by the arts and graciously supportive of its LGBTQ community. Unfortunately, the truth is, beneath the surface of St. Petersburg’s forward-looking exterior lies a sordid past of intolerance and disconnect that has indirectly been upheld through neglect.

The dividing lines that separate the boundaries of these districts are almost as visible on location as they appear on the map. Bordering the Grand Central District on Central Avenue and east of the highway, smooth sidewalks and freshly planted palm trees line the sidewalks. The construction of two brand new apartments are well under way, extending the length of two city blocks from 18th street to 16th. On the West side, not so much. From here, the road is lined with skinny oak trees, uneven and broken sidewalks and decrepit buildings; some of which are failed businesses up for sale.

A look from East to West down Central Avenue at the dividing line of districts 6 & 7. Photo by Richard Boore.

The city of St. Petersburg has developed an abundance of initiatives for grant money, including several CRA (Community Redevelopment Area) programs. These programs provide direct funding to homeowners, property/business owners and developers, designed to support the “three pillars” of the South St. Petersburg redevelopment plan.

– Place-based opportunities.

– People-based opportunities.

– Housing-based opportunities.

Grants are also offered through TIF programs (Tax Increment Funding), community reinvestment designated for redevelopment, revitalization, and improvement of private sector activity. This includes residential, commercial sites and housing developments. However, David Foote, Executive Director of The Grand Central District, explained that the area along Grand Central District is not eligible for CRA based opportunities.

“The way it is written now,” he clarified, “is that it can’t be used for Capital Improvement Projects in a District. It has to be used on properties,” Foote said.

Foote noted his frustration with the lack of distribution through CRA funding and added that the success and growth of the district over the years has generated a lot of revenue but the District is not getting the investment back from the City to help maintain it and make improvements.

“It’s time for there to be an annual revenue stream for capital improvement projects,” Foote said. “This is where the fight really needs to be.”

Frankenstein sidewalk on Central Avenue and 27th Street. Photo by Richard Boore.

Former House of Representatives Chair and active member of the Pinellas Board of County Commissioners, Kathleen Peters, is a long-time resident and community activist. Peters offers three crucial suggestions for members of each district to get the support they need.

Build relationships with elected officials – specifically non-contentious relationships.

Use data to justify the needs (eg job creation, or crime rates) – do the research.

Trust the process.



Peters acknowledged that the above may be tedious and frustrating, but she said, “it is necessary in order to have an outcome you can live with.”

St. Pete’s Economic Development Officer, Gary Jones, oversees TIF funds and has approved this year’s funding commitment to a couple of projects within the Edge district at an estimated grand total of $7 million. $6 million toward a public parking garage located on the site of the former police station and $1 million toward a streetscape project.

The FY20 budget proposal for St. Petersburg has capped out at $640,798,937.00 and has allocated nearly $3.5 million in subsidies to the Mahaffey, the Pier, the Coliseum, the Trop, Jamestown and the port, all of which are located in District 6. Most of the items on the budget are ambiguously categorized with titles like “park facilities” or “alley reconstruction,” but a number of sizeable community investments are identifiable, none of which positively include Districts 5 or 7.



While funding requests and redevelopment efforts haven’t completely been ignored in districts 5 and 7, the community seems to remain out of sight and out of mind. Grossly disproportionate funding is evident and neighborhood residents and business owners aren’t quite buying the claims of “progress.”



To the point, Peters also noted, “The city of St Petersburg has neglected neighborhoods and infrastructure for a long time and now faces a crisis,” specifically referring to major sewer problems that are currently estimated at $300 million dollars in a proposed plan to fix.

Raymond Smith, Grand Central resident and former owner of Grand Central’s Numex, closed the popular restaurant’s doors after two years in business. As a seasoned commercial real estate investor, he explains how other issues in these areas play a role, like safety concerns stemming from the area’s relatively high crime rate.

Living just behind the former Nitally’s restaurant on Central Avenue, Smith has seen his fair share of petty theft and other crimes right outside of his home, inclusively on his short commute to District 5, where he serves as a landlord for multiple Section 8 residences.

“It’s so bad. It’s a cycle that needs to be addressed,” Smith said.
November 2, 2019
Dispelling the Deserts: Communities Implement Their Own Solutions Against Food Insecurity in St. Petersburg

Dispelling the Deserts

Communities Implement Their Own Solutions Against Food Insecurity in St. Petersburg

BY THOMAS IOVINO

Bartlett Park Community Garden. Photo by Madeline Seiberlich.

Nearly 1,000 days ago, residents of south St. Petersburg lost access to something many of us take for granted – easy access to fresh, wholesome foods. That’s when the Walmart Neighborhood Market closed in Tangerine Plaza, located at the intersection of 22nd Street South and 18th Avenue South.

While something like this may seem like an inconvenience, it presented itself in a potent way to Wendy Wesley, a registered dietitian working at St. Anthony’s Hospital.

“I noticed that many of the clients I saw with chronic illnesses were not doing well. Those with diabetes, heart disease, obesity and kidney problems were getting worse,” Wesley said.

And, when she did some digging, she discovered that there was only one store in south St. Petersburg that was selling fresh produce.

When measuring public health and the quality of life in communities, many studies focus on commute times, access to doctors and disease attack rates. But, there is one more basic need which can get frequently overlooked, and that is basic access to healthy, fresh food. Not only is this essential to simply satisfy hunger, but a failure to focus on proper nutrition can lead to a host of health concerns including obesity, type two diabetes and certain forms of cancer. The areas around the country where access to nutritious, fresh food is limited are known as food deserts.

The United States Department of Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define food deserts as areas that lack nearby access to affordable fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk and other foods which make up the full range of a healthy diet. The distance from grocery stores varies according to how densely populated the area is. In rural communities, it is 10 miles. In urban areas such as south St. Petersburg, it is one.

In food deserts, fast food establishments and convenience stores provide less nutritious options, or more nutritious options at a considerably higher cost. These highly processed foods offer inadequate nutrient value, or provide too much sugar, fat or salt for a balanced diet.

“That becomes a problem when you address public health,” said Wesley. “If there are no healthy options, chronic health issues become an additional barrier, as people are unable to travel the greater distances, creating a vicious cycle.”

Registered dietitian Wendy Wesley instructs students about the importance of proper nutrition. Photo by Thomas Iovino.

Another challenge experienced in Pinellas County is an underfunded public transportation system. Without a light rail or subway system, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority is reliant solely upon buses to transport residents without a vehicle of their own. With an operating budget approximately one third the size of comparably sized transit systems, fewer routes and longer wait times between buses are the norm. Overcoming this transportation obstacle can prove daunting for most riders, who fall under a category known as ALICE – Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed – more commonly known as the working poor.

Finding New Solutions

Supermarket chains – the main source of fresh, wholesome foods in highly urbanized areas – have failed to set roots in areas which have been economically depressed. In Pinellas County, these areas include the Greenwood area of Clearwater, unincorporated Lealman and vast stretches of south St. Petersburg.

“In many ways, a lack of access to food is a symptom of racism and discrimination against lower income communities,” Wesley explained. “As businesses, they are more than welcome to follow whatever business model they wish. However, their model can negatively impact the health of the community they claim to serve.”

An alternative to the traditional grocery stores that has proven successful across the country is food cooperatives. These stores are both owned and operated by community members, much in the same way that credit unions are member-owned banking institutions. With the local community buy-in, and a model that seeks to provide employment for the community members they serve, food cooperatives can help fill a vital role in putting an end to food deserts.

Shoppers outside of the Midtown Plaza’s Walmart Neighborhood Market before it closed. Members of the People’s Budget Review offered to create a grocery co-op in its place. The idea has not moved forward, but it has been developed at Pinellas Tech in Childs Park. Photo courtesy of the Neighborhood News Bureau.

Communities of all sizes – from the 4th Street Food Co-Op in midtown Manhattan, to the Co-Op Market in Fairbanks, Alaska, where every kid who comes in to grocery shop gets a banana–are just a couple of examples of successful initiatives. The National Co-Op Grocers is an association of 148 Co-Ops across the United States, and assists member stores with operational planning, legislative assistance and other critical business needs. In south St. Petersburg, the One Community Grocery Co-Op, developed with the support of Pinellas Tech and the People’s Budget Review, has recently celebrated its first year of operation.

Students learn how to prepare a planting bed to grow fresh produce. Photo by Thomas Iovino.

Another old idea currently being explored in south St. Petersburg to help reduce the impact of food deserts is the establishment of community farms. The concept, popular during World War II to manage food consumption on the home front, was to plant a victory garden, where fresh fruits and vegetables were harvested and canned, freeing commercial producers to feed troops overseas. Given Florida’s mild winters and selection of heat-tolerant plants, community gardens can produce year-round, encouraging residents to take part in a cost-effective method of addressing this important concern.

Gardens located in neighborhoods such as Jordan Park, Bartlett Park, Child’s Park and the Enoch Davis Center not only provide fresh produce, but also offer youth leadership opportunities, culinary training and food systems education.

November 1, 2019
Elections 2019

Elections 2019

St. Petersburg’s City Council, Districts 5 and 7

Downtown St. Petersburg viewed from the bay receives most of the City’s investments, leaving a few districts impoverished. Photo by Richard Boore.

The USFSP Master’s Program in Digital Journalism and Design (DJD) covered some issues raised by community members in municipal districts 5 and 7, which are up for elections this Tuesday, November 5.

Here is the election information retrieved from the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections’ website:

Candidates and Districts:

Council Member – District 5

Trenia L. Cox – https://treniacox.com/

Deborah Figgs-Sanders – https://www.figgssanders.com/

Council Member – District 7

Eritha “Akile” Cainion – https://voteakile.com/bio/
Lisa Wheeler-Bowman – https://www.lisaforstpete.com/

Financial information and more on candidates:
http://www.stpete.org/elections/

Election guide from the League of Women Voters:
https://vote.lwspa.org/election-guide

A look from East to West down Central Avenue at the dividing line of districts 6 & 7. Photo by Richard Boore.

Progressive St. Petersburg… and its dividing line

Lavish funding continues to fuel St. Petersburg’s dynamic downtown growth, while residents and business owners in Districts 5 & 7 come up empty-handed.

A resident visits one of the drop-off sites due to not having a recycling bin available to him in his trailer home complex. Photo by Karen Arango.

Recycling deficits in St. Petersburg Need Solutions from Elected Officials

Recycling deficits in St. Petersburg Need Solutions from Elected Officials

Students learn how to prepare a planting bed to grow fresh produce. Photo by Thomas Iovino.

Dispelling the Deserts

Nearly 1,000 days since the Walmart Neighborhood Market closed in Tangerine Plaza, Southside residents consider food cooperatives and community gardens for vital fresh foods.

Downtown St. Petersburg viewed from the bay receives most of the City’s investments, leaving a few districts impoverished. Photo by Richard Boore.

Sinking in Sewage: Can St. Pete Clean Up It’s Act?

The slow moving process of fixing the City’s infrastructure to preserve one of its main attractions adds pressure the candidates for City Council to offer solutions.

Affordable Housing Crisis Hits Hard in St. Petersburg’s Districts 5 and 7

City Council hopefuls Cainion and Cox challenge developers and local government to preserve affordable housing in the Southside.

October 31, 2019
Hurricane Irma: Midtown Edition – A Community Copes with Disaster

May 24, 2019