Tell City Leaders to Put People Over Pavement!

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The housing market in St Pete is like a cruel game of musical chairs. With a lack of available homes, individuals with modest incomes are being squeezed out, often forced to commute longer distances. To address the issue of housing affordability, it's essential to build more housing and diversify the types of housing available, particularly in areas well served by St Pete transit, such as the SunRunner corridor. One effective way to achieve this is by eliminating wasteful parking mandates that hinder new development. Currently, when a property owner wants to build on her land, the city requires her to create an arbitrary number of parking spaces, regardless of actual demand. This not only reduces the overall amount of housing built but also drives up the costs of the homes that are constructed, as the expenses related to unnecessary parking are ultimately passed on to consumers.

The city is currently updating the zoning code along the SunRunner corridor to enhance housing affordability, with the City Council scheduled to conduct a final vote on May 14. At the first public hearing, Council voted unanimously to amend the plan by eliminating parking mandates from the overlay and from properties within a 1/4 mile of SunRunner stations. We have an excellent chance of getting this reform passed, but we need your help to ensure success!