County joins Habitat to break ground on 54 affordable townhomes
Pinellas County and the City of Largo joined Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties on Wednesday, Dec. 20, to break ground on Longlake Preserve, a 54-unit townhome development in Largo. Elected officials and supporters in the community gathered at the 7-acre site to celebrate the project’s official start. Each townhome will be two stories, roughly 1,200 square feet, and be either 2-bed/2-bath or 3-bed/3-bath units.
“The cost of living continues to rise in our community,” said Mike Sutton, President & CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties. “The great thing about Habitat and these 54 families that will eventually call this home is that they’ll have a 0% interest mortgage that guarantees the loan’s affordability, allows them to stay in their community, and dig their heels into the community.”
The 54-unit townhomes will be exclusively marketed to potential homeowners making less than 80% of the area median income (AMI) and willing to participate in the Habitat for Humanity homeownership program.
“Habitat has been a great partner to our city in providing affordable homeownership opportunities,” said Largo Mayor Woody Brown. “It’s so important to work together to have these opportunities and to see projects like this happen in our community.”
“This groundbreaking is a milestone in a long process to get to today,” said Pinellas County Commissioner Charlie Justice. “This is about the 54 families who will move in here and are choosing to make these life-changing decisions for their finances and futures.”
Longlake Preserve was made possible in part because of the advocacy done in Tallahassee by State Senator Ed Hooper (District 21) and State Representative Kim Berfield (District 58). They helped procure $2 million from the annual state budget to assist this Habitat affiliate in projects like Longlake Preserve.
“This is a creative and innovative way to help families achieve this dream,” said Representative Berfield. “What we are starting for these 54 families is just amazing. I look forward to more ventures that can help more families in Pinellas County.”
“There is nothing more fulfilling in this job than getting this $2 million appropriation through the process,” said Senator Hooper. “We are striving for $3 million (in appropriations for Habitat) this year to offer more families that chance at the American dream.”
Habitat is partnering with G2 Design, a St. Petersburg-based architecture firm, to make these townhomes a reality.
“This is a passion project for us,” said Johanna Glinsboeckel, Principle of G2 Design. “It’s not very often you get to use the skills you have honed over your lifetime that will benefit a group of people like these Habitat families. We are so grateful to be working with Habitat on this project.”
The first homeowners are expected to move in by late 2024.
Source: Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco