Hundreds of Polk County renters are making a last-minute scramble to secure financial assistance before a federal eviction moratorium ends Saturday.
Polk County officials announced Friday that they have extended the rental assistance application deadline an extra 10 days to Aug. 13 in the face of increased demand while they urge local landlords to hold off on displacing tenants who ve applied but have yet to receive money. Many people are still trying to recover from job loss, reduced hours and increased medical expenses due to COVID, and now the threat of eviction just buries them a little further, said Laura Lee Gwinn, executive director of the Homeless Coalition of Polk County.
If Frank Ammons could summarize his search for the perfect Lakeland home in one word, it would be aggressive.
Ammons, 38, and his wife Mary, 28, looked at four houses in Lakeland that got snatched off the market before they could say Mine! We were very aggressive about it, Ammons said. We d look at the house, we d love the house, we d say let s put an offer on the house, our Realtor would turn around and put an offer and there were already offers, Ammons said.
Lakeland is a microcosm of a national trend: It s a seller s market, no doubt about it. And in Swan City, demand is high and inventory is low, complicating the search process for relocators like Ammons.
In 2019, Mutz pushed for the city to set aside $250,000 for affordable housing initiatives in fiscal year 2020 with a promise to create 500 units. If $750,000 is approved for fiscal year 2022, the city s support will have tripled over three years.
Developer Green Mills Group purchased the 1.8-acre site from Lakeland Community Redevelopment Group for $324,000 in November 2019. Green Mills also received a $162,000 loan with 0% interest and two-year grace period before the 15-year repayment period starts, for a total of 17 years.
Commissioner Chad McLeod expressed concerns about ensuring that future affordable housing projects make good use of the taxpayers money. I think the initiatives we have pursued as a city and the partnerships that we ve seen have been innovative and a good use of those dollars, McLeod said. I want to see that continue.
It took some time to adjust, and even still, I wake up in the middle of the night because I do not remember where I am, Marley said. If I am honest, I am preparing for the worst to happen always. I m so used to being unsettled because everything in my life has been out of my control.
Marley, although a resident of Lakeland, was one of several people to speak at the April 12 Winter Haven City Commission meeting. The Polk Ecumenical Action Council for Empowerment, commonly known as PEACE, gathered speakers to call for more affordable housing in the city and a commitment from commissioners to allocate more funds toward the long-term issue.