As the nation enters the second month of the government shutdown, Tampa Bay area housing agencies are feeling the heat.
Projects are being put on hold, and if the shutdown goes on much longer, the situation is expected to get worse.
“I know people that have waited six months, sometimes longer,” said Josie Dawes, a Lakeland senior living in subsidized housing.
Dawes is on a fixed income, which makes finding a nice place to live tough.
“The rent’s too high or they’re out of the area where you want to live. Sometimes people don’t have a car, us elderly people don’t have vehicles,” Dawe’s said.
“For every 10 families that need affordable housing, there’s only three units of affordable housing,” said Ben Stevenson, Executive Director of the Lakeland Housing Authority.
To cut down on its waiting list, the agency is currently constructing a new 100 unit senior housing building.
Stevenson said that If the shutdown continues, the anticipated April opening will be delayed due to federal funding accounts for most of the rent.
The shutdown has also stalled plans to demolish and build multi-family housing.
“We just need some HUD approvals. HUD has to approve the demolition and give us vouchers so we can relocate the families, and that’s on hold during the shutdown,” said Stevenson.
Stevenson said if the shutdown continues through March, the agency will not be able to give landlords section 8 subsidies, but he’s optimistic the government will get back on track.
“We’re just hoping that the shutdown doesn’t last much longer.”
