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Tag: ACH Housing

  • Advocates push for city to take over troubled apartment complex in St. Pete

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The St. Petersburg Tenants Union is calling on the city to take over The Morgan Apartments. That’s the property that was in danger of having its water shut off last summer because the city said the property owner wasn’t paying its bills. 

    At Thursday’s council meeting, SPTU Organizer William Kilgore told members the concern is that foreclosure proceedings could lead to the building being sold at auction.

    Rather than have another corporate landlord come in, he said a city acquisition could offer residents of the troubled complex some stability.

    What You Need To Know

    • The St. Petersburg Tenants Union told city council members Thursday that residents want the city to take over The Morgan Apartments

    • The city warned tenants last summer that a water shut-off was possible to The Morgan and another complex owned by Lurin Real Estate Holdings because the company was thousands of dollars behind on its water bill

    • A tenants union organizer says the concern is that the foreclosure process could lead to the building being sold at auction to another corporate landlord

    • The city says there are no plans to acquire The Morgan, and a Lurin spokesperson says the company doesn’t believe that step is justified


    “The city has a responsibility to step in,” Kilgore told council.

    “The city needs to take care of its residents,” said another speaker. “The out-of-state landlords do not care about us.”

    Nat Pudlak didn’t attend the meeting. She said she’s lived at The Morgan for three years and describes her time there as not the worst, but also not the best.

    “I had a pipe bust on me,” she said. “Then, my ceiling caved in because of a pest problem that we had. So, they had a rat infestation.”

    From shuttered pools to mold, Pudlak said The Morgan has its share of issues. So, when she heard about the push to get the city to take over the property, she wasn’t against it.

    “We are fixed income. So, being owned by the city at least has that security for a lot of us,” said Pudlak. “Originally, when the water was going to get shut off, I didn’t have a backup plan.“

    St. Petersburg Public Information Officer Samantha Bequer said in a statement, “At this time, the city does not have plans to acquire the Morgan property. Right now, our focus is on collecting the remainder of the outstanding water services balance and providing assistance and information to residents wanting to relocate from the property.”

    “They do have the money. They do have the ability. It’s a matter of political will, is what it is, and they don’t have the will to do it,” said Kilgore.

    Kilgore praised city staff for the help provided to residents so far, but he said more needs to be done for tenants.

    “I agree with exactly where they’re coming from,” said Councilmember Richie Floyd. “I think when the private sector fails, the public sector needs to step in.”

    According to Floyd, codes staff visited The Morgan frequently to address issues. He said he’s supported a possible city takeover at past council meetings.

    “I think we definitely need to be involved in this process, even if the administration’s not interested in going the direction I am,” he said. “But I would love to continue the conversation any way I can.”

    As for Pudlak, she said of the residents who lived at the complex when she moved in, she’s one of the few who remain — but not for long.

    “Nope. No. Instant no,” she said when asked if she planned to stay. “As soon as my lease is up in October, I’m personally moving over to Bradenton.”

    Lurin spokesperson Ed Cafasso said in a statement that The Morgan is operating normally, and the company is working to strengthen its longterm financial stability. It reads in part, “While we understand the demand by some residents for the city to seize the property, we do not believe such an unusual step is justified or in the community’s best interest.”

    Bequer said the city is monitoring the potential foreclosure of the property and is working through the litigation process related to unpaid water bills.

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    Sarah Blazonis

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  • City of Zephyrhills to vote on extending new housing moratorium

    City of Zephyrhills to vote on extending new housing moratorium

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    ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. — The Zephyrhills City Council will soon decide on what to do about a moratorium on new housing developments that it approved unanimously last year.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Zephyrhills City Council voted unanimously last year to put a pause on new housing developments

    • The year-long pause had to do with the city’s water supply, which city officials worried would not be able to meet the growing demand

    • City officials will take a vote in June to decide if they want to extend the current moratorium

    The vote had to do with the city’s water supply, which city officials worried would not be able to meet the growing demand. The year-long pause has given those in the city a chance to see how they can grow.

    But the pause in new housing developments does not mean the city is closing its doors completely, City Manager Billy Poe said.

    “We are open for business and we want to make sure that people know that, and businesses know that,” he said.

    He said the moratorium was put in place because growth was outpacing the city’s ability to provide services.

    “Everyone wanted to come to Florida — the state was open and has great weather,” Poe said. “Who would not want to be here? The subdivisions were fully occupied, and so that put a large strain on our water supply system because we were expecting in 15 to 20 years to hit that capacity, not two to three years.”

    But the moratorium didn’t pause everything. Construction of residential properties that were smaller than an acre were allowed to continue, and current developments and any non-residential developments, like businesses, were free to continue, as well.

    “We just have to make sure we have enough water going forward with all the future projects and future development, which helps lead us to our goal as a city and what our focus is,” said Poe.

    He said there are more plans ahead for the city, with a potential expansion further down the road.

    “Just to be able to provide for the community a place where they want to be and they don’t want to go anywhere else,” Poe said.” To just be proud of Zephyrhills.”

    The City Council is expected to take a vote in June to decide if the current moratorium should end, or continue.

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    Calvin Lewis

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  • Home sales in Citrus County seeing a spike

    Home sales in Citrus County seeing a spike

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    CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. — Home sales in Citrus County are seeing a spike in this new year. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Data from the Florida Realtors Report shows almost a 14% increase in the sale of single-family homes for the month of January compared to last year

    • There was a total of 222 sales during the month — up from 195 sales at the same time last year

    • With the number of buyers buying rising, so too did the number of homes going up for sale

    Data from the Florida Realtors Report shows almost a 14% increase in the sale of single-family homes for the month of January compared to last year. A total of 222 sales were recorded for the month — which is up from 195 sales at the same time last year.

    Local real estate agent Judy McCoy says it’s a recipe for real estate success.

    And right now that recipe has proven to be in high-demand.

    “We have more sellers with more homes out there, so we’ve had a big increase in the number of sales, but we still have homes for sale,” said McCoy, a real estate agent with Century 21 J.W. Morton.

    In the previous few months, the real estate market was very different, she said.

    “I think a lot of buyers, and we still see a little bit of this, were anxious,” McCoy said. “You can’t blame anybody. They were very anxious about what was happening in the economy, where was it going to go, and it was very slow in November and December.”

    With the number of homes for sale increasing, so too did the number of buyers. But Mccoy said times like these don’t typically last for long.

    “We do anticipate seeing a decrease in the interest rates. The thing about that though, for buyers to know, is that when interest rates go down, prices normally go up,” she said. “As I mentioned before, what you might want to do to get the best of both worlds, is right now the prices are really good. Very good prices. You won’t see prices like this again.”

    And for those currently in the market to buy, McCoy has a few helpful tips.

    “Be well defined, get professional help — you’ll be glad you did — and the third thing about buying a house is an investment value,” she says. “I don’t think Florida real estate is going to go anywhere but up and up and up.”

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    Calvin Lewis

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