Mayor’s Infill Housing Program

Four people at a podium outdoors for Infill Phase 3 construction announcement.

Infill Phase III:

Kenya Ramirez, one of the first-time developers whose family-owned company was awarded a lot for the third phase of the city’s Infill Program.

How it works:

Through a lottery system, 20 local developers were awarded lots to build and sell homes to income-eligible homebuyers for under $400,000 (current median home price in Hillsborough County is ~$420,000). With 8 lots of townhome-style residences, this phase of construction will yield 45 homes in the next 1.5 years, bringing the program total to 295 affordable homes for Tampa families.

Mayor Jane Castor, city staff, and local partners welcome a mother and her son to their new home, made by possible by the City of Tampa’s Infill Housing Program.

Phases

On October 11, 2017, the City of Tampa launched its Infill Housing Program to bring affordable homes to our communities. Through this program, the City of Tampa awards residential, single-family lots to a qualified developer or non-profit. In return for receiving the lot at no cost, the developer must build and sell the home to an income-eligible home buyer. Developers must apply to participate and are selected through a random lottery process.

The first phase of the program consisted of 95 lots, which were awarded to Domain Homes, the CDC of Tampa, and Habitat for Humanity.

When she took office in 2019, Mayor Jane Castor identified housing affordability as one of her administration’s priorities and quickly asked her team to initiate Infill Phase II, which launched on September 2, 2021. But this time, local, minority developers would be favored to create work opportunities and help smaller companies build relationships with the City. A total of 15 lots, two of which were split, were awarded between 11 developers and non-profits. The City of Tampa’s Development and Growth Management team worked diligently to help developers through the permitting and inspection process and the first home, built by RL Builders, was unveiled on June 17, 2022. Mayor Castor, city staff, councilmembers, and local partners gathered to welcome Belina Glass and her son to their new home.

Documents:

Developers participating in the third phase of the City of Tampa’s Infill Housing Program are starting to break ground on their properties. Twenty lots were awarded to local developers, including several minority and family-owned builders, who in return for receiving the lots at no cost, will build and sell a home to an income-eligible home buyer.

Unlike previous phases, eight of the developers will be building townhome-style residences, yielding a total of up to 45 units for Phase III, and bringing the grand total of affordable homes built through Tampa’s Infill Housing Program to approximately 295. Properties in the third phase are being constructed in the East Tampa and Central Park areas.

Documents:

If you are a developer and are interested in participating in the program and would like more information, please contact Marquaz McGhee at (813) 274-7938 or e-mail at marquaz.mcghee@tampagov.net. Interested home buyers must contact their realtor or housing counseling agency to see if they qualify. Income-eligible, first-time home buyers can apply to the City of Tampa’s DARE to Own the Dream Homeownership Program to receive forgivable down payment and closing cost assistance loans.