Tampa apartments rehabbed with federal stimulus money
By Chip Osowski, Ch. 8
Tampa,
Aug 30, 2011 -
Six months ago, a small apartment complex at 5126 N. Habana Ave. was a run-down foreclosed structure where drug dealers and drug users frequented.
Now, the complex is the jewel of the neighborhood and will soon provide affordable housing for dozens of families.
Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, were on hand for the ribbon-cutting at the Mariposa Apartment complex.
The money to purchase and rehab the 37-unit apartments came from stimulus money from the federal government.
"I know out there in the world that the stimulus or the Recovery Act has gotten caught up in this political back and forth ... Did it work? Did it not work? Well, look around here right now. It has worked here," Castor said.
The complex was once dilapidated and run-down. Now, each one-bedroom apartment unit features tile floors in the living and dining areas and updated kitchens.
Everything here is new — from the roofs to the wiring, plumbing and landscaping.
Rent at Mariposa Apartments starts at just under $450 a month.
The redevelopment was a private/nonprofit partnership between the city of Tampa, Mental Health Care Inc. and DDA Development Co.
The project cost just under $3 million and is now being managed by Mental Health Care, a private, nonprofit behavioral healthcare system.
Potential renters do not have to have an illness to apply for an apartment, but they must meet some criteria.
"There is an income structure and we just encourage individuals to come by and fill out an application," said Susan Morgan, spokeswoman for Mental Health Care.
Several of the units are already occupied and management expects to have full occupancy within a few weeks.
The complex also features a number of "green" elements including solar panels on the laundry room, energy efficient doors, windows and appliances.
