Religious leaders, elected officials and housing advocates describe Zion Village as an answered prayer for low-income seniors in the region.
The 75-unit apartment complex was built on two acres of land owned by the nearby Mt. Zion AME Church in Riverview.
Fifteen units offer below-market rent, at $1,063, for seniors. The remaining 60 units accept project-based vouchers, which subsidize rent at 30 percent of tenants' income through the Tampa Housing Authority and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
During a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the complex on Tuesday, Bishop Marvin Zanders II opened with prayer and praise for the project.
"Oh blessed Jehovah, we dedicate Zion Village to you. May these homes be more than structure of brick and mortar. Let them be ... havens of dignity for our cherished seniors," he said.
The $33.5 million project, which broke ground in 2024, was a collaborative effort between Hillsborough County, the Tampa Housing Authority, Smith & Henzy Affordable Group and other partners.
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The project received $6.8 million from Hillsborough County. That includes $2.8 million from the county's HOPE affordable housing fund, which has since been dissolved.
Zion Village is now the second affordable housing complex of its kind in the county.
In 2025, an all-affordable, 100-unit apartment complex, Casa Bel-Mar, opened in South Tampa at a site purchased by Bel-Mar Presbyterian Church.
Leroy Moore, senior vice president of the Tampa Housing Authority, said the model of building on church-owned land works well in the greater Tampa Bay region, where land is scarce.
"One of the biggest starting points in trying to do a deal like this is finding the site, finding the land. Faith-based organizations control a lot of land," he said.
Last year, state lawmakers passed new rules, nicknamed YIGBY, or Yes In God's Backyard, that empower religious institutions to build affordable housing on their property to address local needs.
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In Tampa, Moore said the public housing authority is open to partnering with churches, synagogues and mosques with available land to build affordable housing.
Gabriella Paul covers the stories of people living paycheck to paycheck in the greater Tampa Bay region for WUSF. Here’s how you can share your story with her.
