Housing

Mark Vengroff, 61, has emerged as one of the most active affordable housing developers and landlords on Florida’s Suncoast.

On "Florida Matters Live & Local," St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch took listeners' calls and addressed several topics, including the redevelopment of the historic Gas Plant District.

The developer planning to raze the buildings for a new tower has said the project was meant to underscore local artistic talent. But many artists see it differently.

The structures will eventually be knocked down to create room for French furniture designer Roche Bobois’s first branded residential tower in the U.S.

“This one is shovel-ready, and we don’t have a way of doing it,” said Councilmember Copley Gerdes. “I don’t understand why we’re not sprinting to get this done.”

A decade ago, the SeaFlower development in west Bradenton got special zoning permission for accessory dwelling units, also known as "granny flats." Now, lawmakers are considering a bill that would make these floor plans more common in Florida.

This week on "The Florida Roundup," we spoke about a new state law that gives cities the option to allow churches and other religious institutions to build affordable housing on their property regardless of zoning and more.

On "The Florida Roundup," FSU urban policy expert Sam Staley said the state's housing market has become "increasingly unaffordable," citing supply as the issue.

South Florida's condo market cool-off continued in 2025, even as the number of sales increased as the year came to an end. Single-family homes remained in strong demand.

The city expects to purchase 14 high-risk residential or commercial properties, help create 582 affordable multifamily housing units and provide 70 low-income households with up to $80,000 in down payment assistance.

From not-so-forever homes to "flesh-eating" bacteria infections, here's a list of the stories that interested you the most in 2025.

“St. Petersburg is once again leading the way with thoughtful, community-focused solutions to our housing challenges,” said Sen. Darryl Rouson.