50 new affordable homes provide healing, stability to local individuals and families

For Walter Sloan, an injury at work led to a series of losses: his job, his home, and, for a time, his future.

As the first new resident at downtown St. Petersburg’s Innovare apartments, having a stable home he can afford has opened the door to hope.

“I went from having a normal life, working, doing my thing, on a Tuesday to a Wednesday I had an event happen that literally turned my world upside down and I lost everything that I had,” Sloan said at a grand opening event for Innovare.  

“Your hard work, your dedication, and your love for humanity, this is the result right here, and I am so happy that I moved into this place, so happy… You’re changing lives one person at a time  – that’s what you’re doing. You have no idea the impact you’re having on the individuals that you’re helping.”  

Sloan is among 75 individuals and families experiencing the healing power of a stable home at Innovare, the latest affordable development project supported by local partners in the Advantage Pinellas Housing Compact.

On Friday, Sloan and other residents joined elected officials and faith leaders from Pinellas County and the City of St. Petersburg to celebrate the grand opening of the new downtown apartments, centrally located in the city’s Innovation District.   

The complex also doubles as the new headquarters for Volunteers of America Florida, which developed Innovare as part of its mission to help struggling people get back on their feet through personal healing and stable housing.

Innovare’s 50 apartments, located at 850 5th Ave. S., provide stable homes for individuals and families who earn 60 percent or less of the Area’s Median Income (AMI), including many who are transitioning from homelessness.

“Some of the individuals and families here are longtime residents who call Pinellas their hometown. They’ve been in the workforce, but their paycheck just hasn’t been enough or they’ve fallen on hard times,” said Pinellas County Commissioner Charlie Justice. “We are proud to support projects like Innovare because they support our whole community – they make sure Pinellas is a hometown where everyone can thrive.”

The $18-million project is supported by $1 million from the County’s Penny for Pinellas fund for land acquisition, $3.5 million from the City of St. Petersburg American Rescue Plan Act funds and other local funds, as well as a mix of other state and federal support.  

The Pinellas County Housing Finance Authority will serve as the trustee for the County for a land trust agreement that will ensure the apartments remain permanently affordable.  

“In Pinellas County, we’ve formed a coalition of cities and government agencies who have a shared mission to support quality homes that all our hardworking residents can afford. We need more homes like this and more organizations like Volunteers of America Florida that have a passion and a heart for people,” said Pinellas County Commissioner Rene Flowers. “But for the grace of God goes any one of us that something could happen that would put us in the position that some of the residents here at Innovare found themselves in. We have to be each other’s brother and sister.”

Under the countywide Advantage Pinellas Housing Compact, local governments have partnered with private developers and nonprofits to help thousands of individuals and families find a quality home they can afford. Local governments in the compact work together to promote consistent policies and programs and support projects that create more housing choices.

“In a time when housing challenges loom large, both locally and nationally, the significance of today cannot be overstated,” said St. Petersburg Mayor Kenneth T. Welch. “The Innovare Apartments are a beacon of hope, a testament to our collective commitment to providing truly affordable housing options for the members of our city. These 50 apartments represent more than just bricks and mortar; they represent the fulfillment of dreams for the families who will soon call them home.”

Innovare’s grand opening follows two projects that started construction this spring that will add more than 126 affordable and workforce homes to St. Petersburg.

Learn more: www.homesforpinellas.org.