The Tampa Bay Community Action Committee plans to present a budget ordinance to the city council that would reallocate monies from the general fund and American Rescue Plan dollars toward affordable housing assistance.

With inflation at a 40-year high and the worst stock market in decades, many Americans feel anxious. And for older adults living on fixed incomes, the astronomical rise in prices has delayed retirement plans and prompted some retirees to go back to work.

To qualify, city employees must be hired on a full-time basis, hold a position with a residency requirement and earn no more than $48,000 a year.

For eligible homebuyers, the Hometown Heroes program can offer up to $25,000 in down-payment and closing-cost assistance.

Are you retired, or soon to be, but continuing to work in order to make ends meet? Tell me your story.

Almost half of all callers, or 370 people, were seeking rental assistance. Another quarter of callers, or 214 people, called for help finding an affordable rental unit or home to purchase.

Home purchases by investors recently declined in the top 10 U.S. cities by market share — including Tampa. Even so, data shows investors still hold almost 25% of the market share, or the total sales made in the market.

The city-funded program would connect renters with local agencies that can offer legal help, housing services and rental assistance amid the ongoing affordable housing crisis.

The number of seniors who have experienced homelessness jumped nearly 40 percent since 2018 and the number of families facing homelessness increased by 21 percent since 2020, the survey found.

After a year of record-high inflation and an influx of new residents, many people and families are finding their housing costs are eating up most of their monthly budgets.

Community leaders at a forum in Tampa this week said the affordable housing crisis is making it harder for them to help people experiencing homelessness. And they expect the number of people in need to grow.

The city's breakneck growth has created problems in the availability of affordable housing and overstressed infrastructure, Mayor Castor said in her State of the City address.