St. Petersburg, FL – On Wednesday, April 30th, ten families earned the keys to their new townhomes at Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside’s Shell Dash Community. The Block Party celebration took place on the property at 112016th St. South in St. Petersburg. Habitat broke ground on this affordable townhome development in December 2022. All ten families earn no more than 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) and will have a 0% interest home loan of no more than $279,000. These families also completed the Habitat Homeownership Program which consists of 38 homebuyer education classes and putting in 350-450 sweat equity hours.
“We are so proud of all of these families for all their hard work,” said Mike Sutton, President and CEO at Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside. “Today we are thrilled to introduce the ten newest homeowners in the City of St. Petersburg. Thank you to the city, Pinellas County, and the State of Florida for helping Habitat get to a day like today.”
Each of these townhome units is just under 1,300 square feet, features three bedrooms, three full bathrooms, two walk-in closets (upstairs), and includes a walkout porch, contemporary landscaping, large windows, and a chef-inspired kitchen with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances.
Elected Officials In Attendance:
- Ken Welch, Mayor of the City of St. Petersburg
- René Flowers, Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners – District 7
- Copley Gerdes, St. Petersburg City Council Chair – District 1
- Gina Driscoll, St. Petersburg City Council – District 6
- Deborah Figgs-Sanders, St. Petersburg City Council – District 5
- Richie Floyd, St. Petersburg City Council – District 8
- Cory Givens Jr., St. Petersburg City Council – District 7
“This is what progress looks like for affordable housing in the City of St. Petersburg,” said Ken Welch, Mayor of St. Petersburg. “I want to thank Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside for partnering on this groundbreaking project. This project is for folks who make our city work. This is about creating housing opportunities, building stronger neighborhoods, and economic opportunities so the people who grew up here can remain here and have a place to call home.”
“Habitat has invested in this community when others wouldn’t invest in this community,” said Pinellas County Commissioner René Flowers. “The ability to own a home in our area is becoming more and more expensive, but working with Habitat for Humanity homeownership is within grasp for many families.”
History of Shell Dash Development
This public-private partnership has allowed ten local families to anchor themselves in St. Petersburg and create lasting memories in a permanent residence. “This development is an example of inclusive progress and how public-private partnerships can move the needle to provide families with a hand up in the affordable housing crisis our community is facing”, said Sutton.
This development would not be possible without the efforts of DuCon Construction, the State of Florida, and the City of St. Petersburg. This development is also an example of inclusive progress and providing families with a hand up, not a hand out. The City of St. Pete donated the land for this project, as well as a land and construction subsidy worth over $1 million, with money from South St. Petersburg Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) funding.
Habitat and the City of St. Pete officially broke ground on this property on Dec. 9, 2022. After two and a half years of work, and many setbacks – most notably from Hurricane Helene and Milton – these townhomes were able to reach the finish line and now offer ten families new hope and a new chapter to their lives as they are now anchored in the very area they have lived and worked.
“We are now homeowners and no one can ever take that away from us.”
