Metropolitan Ministries receives $175K grant to go towards affordable housing upgrades

TAMPA, Fla. - It’s hard for a lot of families to make ends meet right now, and sometimes people have to choose whether to pay rent or put food on the table.

Metropolitan Ministries received a large grant that will go towards its affordable housing to help ease the burden.

"We are having 500 families a month coming to us looking for some help, whether it be rental assistance or they're needing emergency shelter," Christine Long, Metropolitan Ministries' chief programs officer, said. "They're in a crisis situation."

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The organization said it received a $175,000 grant From TD Bank’s TD Charitable Foundation.

Metropolitan Ministries said the money will go towards upgrading and subsidizing 21 affordable housing units, considered "kitchenettes," for families in need.

Long said these units typically cost families around $350 per month.

She said affordable housing is a persistent crisis right now that shows no signs of easing up soon.

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"Many of these folks had been renting, and the rents went up, and now they can't afford where they were staying," she said. "So they find themselves close to eviction or being evicted. And of course they can't find other places to go."

Metropolitan Ministries said these units are designed for people coming out of the emergency shelter. Long said people often have a very limited list of housing options.

She said these units give people a roof over their heads, while helping pave the way towards a stable, long-term home.

"So many of the folks who are staying in the kitchenettes are actually going through educational programs to increase their earning potential, be able to make more money and be able to support their family longer term," Long said.

She said people living in these units will be right on Metropolitan Ministries’ campus, so they’ll have access to job and education assistance, counseling and after school care.

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The goal is to give families a chance to build their credit, save money and have the resources to regain their footing and not be forced to start back at square one when finding more permanent housing.

However, Long said breaking the cycle of the affordable housing crisis will take years and help from all of the community.

"Coming up with creative solutions, building more housing, supporting efforts to do that in order to make a dent in this problem," Long said.

Over the next year, Metropolitan Ministries is working to expand its Pasco County campus. It said it will be able to double the number of families it serves from 24 to 48 families.