In a 5-2 vote on Wednesday, Hillsborough County commissioners repealed the HOPE Affordable Housing Act.
The measure directed the county to set aside $10 million annually in general revenue toward the affordable housing trust fund, also known as the HOPE fund. The housing dollars were named after a faith-based community organization, the Hillsborough Organization for Progress and Equality (HOPE), that advocated for its creation in 2019.
Since then, around $50 million has been allocated toward the local HOPE fund, leading to the creation and development of more than 1,100 affordable units in Hillsborough County. Many are home to seniors on fixed income, renters with disabilities and people transitioning out of homelessness.
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During a public hearing ahead of the vote, around 30 HOPE members spoke out against the county's move to repeal the act.
Rev. Bernice Powell Jackson, pastor of the First United Church of Tampa, asked commissioners to consider the growing need for affordable housing before repealing the trust fund ordinance.
"We come before you to plead — not for ourselves — but for the 100,000-plus families in our county who are rent-burdened, for the thousands of those who have no home at all, for the thousands who suffer mental illness and desperately need permanent supportive housing in order to become productive citizens," she said.
Calling into the public hearing virtually, HOPE's co-president Sheila Simmons Tribble said the local affordable housing fund has been successful in fulfilling these aims.
"It addresses the needs of low- and very low-income families, veterans, persons with disabilities and seniors. It's also locally controlled by Hillsborough County," she said.
While Hillsborough County receives other state and federal funds through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Tribble said that there's value in having a small, dedicated pool of money for local housing needs.
The $10 million earmarked for the HOPE fund every fiscal year would represent .001% of the proposed $10.4 billion budget for Hillsborough County in fiscal year 2025.
Community member, Tom Cobert, one of many residents in attendance donning a purple HOPE shirt, told commissioners he thinks that's money well spent.
"This program has continuously shown serious bang for the buck," he said. "This funding also helps in applying for funds from state and federal sources...this program benefits struggling taxpayers who live paycheck to paycheck."
But the commission voted 5-2 to repeal the HOPE Affordable Housing Act, with commissioners Harry Cohen and Gwen Myers voting against the move.
Boos and chants of "shame" erupted from the audience after the vote, at one point leading Commissioner Ken Hagan to remind residents that they could be escorted out of the public meeting by law enforcement.
"I was not surprised by today's vote, but I am disappointed in it," Cohen said after the meeting. "I think that the fight for money for affordable housing is not over, and it's something that we will continue to talk about going forward, as soon as our budget process that's going to start in July."
Gabriella Paul covers the stories of people living paycheck to paycheck in the greater Tampa Bay region for WUSF. She's also a Report for America corps member. Here’s how you can share your story with her.
