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County, Habitat Join Forces

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By YVETTE C. HAMMETT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 9, 2008

ORIENT PARK - ORIENT PARK - Hillsborough County is providing nearly $1 million in cash and in-kind contributions to help Habitat for Humanity create a compact community for 25 low-income families.

The county's Affordable Housing office purchased a 3.07-acre tract off Radio Lane east of U.S. 301 to build two-, three- and four-bedroom houses with a common parking area and playground.

The county also will build roads and install water and sewer lines for the complex, accounting for about $500,000 of the county's contribution, said affordable housing officer Howie Carroll.

Before construction begins, however, county officials must approve a zoning change that would allow smaller lot sizes and fewer parking spaces than currently permitted.

Ralph Jackson, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County, said the zoning change would allow the nonprofit to build 17 more houses than current zoning allows.

"It all relates to the price of real estate anymore," he said.

Habitat is asking the county to change the property's zoning classification from Agricultural Single Family, which allows one house per acre, to Planned Development, which permits smaller lot sizes and more flexibility in density, depending on the project. "This is planned as a compact community with a common parking area and playground," Jackson said. "It will be almost like an apartment complex. We'll be doing more duplexes, triplexes and communities like this because of the cost of land."

The houses will range in size from 900 to 1,000 square feet for two-bedroom houses to 1,200 square feet for four bedrooms, Jackson said.

Each house will have a community sponsor. Fifth Third Bank, WCI Communities and Van Dyke United Methodist Church recently sponsored Habitat houses in Hillsborough County, he said.

The houses will be valued at $120,000 to $140,000, but sponsors will pay only $90,000 because Habitat uses volunteer labor, Jackson said.

Among those volunteers will be the future homeowners. Habitat requires families to contribute sweat equity to the construction of their houses, which are financed with affordable loans.

It will be the third Habitat community erected in Hillsborough County. The other two are in Grant Park in east Tampa and Hope Park east of Ybor City.

Affordable housing officials have asked that the new Habitat project be put on a fast track for consideration. The zoning change is scheduled to go before a zoning hearing master Sept. 2 and the county commission Oct. 21.

Other affordable housing projects are in the works.

"Within a few weeks, we should have two or three more projects under way," Carroll said.

Reporter Yvette C. Hammett can be reached at (813) 657-4532 or yhammett@tampatrib.com.

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