Preserving dignity: Housing affordability extends beyond new builds in Tampa
- Mark Parker
- May 29
- 3 min read
The walls of Carlton Mallard’s home in East Tampa have held his family’s history for over 70 years. However, the creeping decay of time had finally caught up to the only sanctuary he’s ever known.
Mallard, who couldn’t afford extensive repairs, went without air conditioning, boiled water to bathe, and cooked with camping equipment. He and his red-brick home now have a new lease on life thanks to the city’s Housing Rehabilitation and Renovation Program.
Mayor Jane Castor and Councilmember Naya Young, chair of the Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency, celebrated the drastic transformation and progress towards the city’s ambitious affordable housing goals outside of the home on Wednesday afternoon. Mallard, now in his golden years, called the $147,000 renovation project a “blessing.”
“Housing affordability is not only about building units,” Young said. “It is also about preserving those existing homes and helping residents age in place with dignity.”
The city’s rehabilitation program offers income-qualified homeowners an interest-free, forgivable loan without payment requirements to cover the cost of repairs. The house Mallard’s father purchased in 1950 and passed down through the decades needed nearly everything but new walls.
For years, Mallard lived without cold air or hot water. Electrical issues left him without power in 2025. His roof was collapsing. “I resorted to buying solar equipment; that’s how I stayed a little cool,” he said.
“I grew up here - my family is all around me,” said Mallard, pointing to the surrounding neighborhood. “So, this house means a lot to me.”
The home, located within the East Tampa Community Redevelopment Area (CRA), received a new roof, hurricane-impact windows and doors, updated electrical systems, a complete plumbing replacement, bathroom renovations, new flooring and cabinets, and environmental cleaning. A city contractor also installed air conditioning and a hot water tank.
Young noted that the CRA works to revitalize economically distressed communities, eliminate blight, and create opportunities for residents through economic investments. Affordable housing, which creates stronger neighborhoods, fosters safer communities, and opens pathways to financial mobility, is a critical part of that mission, she said.
“Our goal is to create neighborhoods where growth and opportunity include the people who have always called these communities home,” Young added. “Revitalization should never mean displacement.”
Castor, upon taking office in 2019, pledged to create 10,000 affordable housing units by 2027. Over 8,300 have been completed or are currently under construction.
While she admitted that the 10,000-unit benchmark is likely unreachable before her second term ends in May 2027, Castor celebrated the city’s progress. “I believe in setting the bar as high as possible and doing everything that you can to reach that goal,” she said.
Tampa has added 4,100 affordable units since 2019, and another 4,000 are in various stages of development. Castor listed several new projects in the pipeline, including Rome Yard, West River, and the Army/Navy store redevelopment downtown.
She also believes that ensuring people like Mallard can remain in their homes contributes to the city’s affordable housing stock. “We come at this from as many angles that are possible and available,” Castor said.
Young echoed that sentiment. “Today is more than numbers,” she said. “It is about family, stability, and ensuring longtime residents are not left behind as our city grows.”
Mallard, a self-described man of few words, repeatedly called it a blessing to have a “truly functioning house, where everything works, and the roof is not leaking.” He can now “sleep good at night” and often reflects on his childhood while sitting in a revitalized living room.
“There’s a lot of things about the house that make me think about my parents,” Mallard said. “This is where I want to be.”
City officials dedicated $1.5 million to renovating East Tampa homes over the past year. The program reopens in mid-June, Castor said.
Share Your News
To share news with the Power Broker, connect with reachout@powerbrokermagazine.com. To sign up for our twice-weekly e-newsletter, visit www.powerbrokernews.com; and to join our online conversation, subscribe to our YouTube channel at Power Broker Media Group – YouTube.
