LARGO, Fla. — The City of Largo is the fourth largest city in Tampa Bay, filled with thousands of businesses that lots of people call home.
It’s also a location where Habitat for Humanity has had a strong presence.
WATCH full story by Larissa Scott
"The City of Largo has been a phenomenal partner to Habitat," said President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside Mike Sutton.
Habitat has been building affordable homes in Largo for years.
"About 250 of those have been in the Largo community," Sutton said.
The need for affordable housing in this community and beyond has skyrocketed in recent years.
"School teachers, healthcare workers, firefighters, we’re providing them the opportunity to own their own home," Sutton said.
Sutton told Tampa Bay 28 reporter Larissa Scott about Habitat’s latest Largo project under construction.
"Fifty-four townhomes. It’s called the Long Lake Preserve neighborhood," Sutton said.
Habitat broke ground on the townhomes about 18 months ago, and construction will be wrapping up soon.
People have already moved in.
Single mom, Kristen Mims, is one of them.
"You know I'll be honest. When I wake up in the mornings sometimes, like I think wow I really live here like it’s done. It’s finished. We did it," said Habitat homeowner Kristen Mims.
She told Tampa Bay 28 reporter Larissa Scott that it was a long process getting to the point of owning one of these townhomes and moving in three months ago.
"A lot of people I think don’t realize how intense the process is," Mims said.
Part of that included taking several homeowner and budgeting classes.
She’s grateful to Habitat for Humanity for changing her life.
"It’s a completely different life, genuinely," Mims said.
Before this, she said she was struggling to keep up with home repairs and make ends meet.
"I’m a single mom. So it’s never enough it feels like at times…It feels like you’re constantly treading water, and just never able to get ahead," said Mims.
However, that’s no longer her situation. Mims and her two sons are now in a great place, one she couldn’t have imagined a few years ago with how expensive housing has gotten.
"I’m in a great, beautiful home that’s affordable for just us for now and I can save money," Mims said.
As people continue to struggle financially in today’s economy, Mims wants them to know that programs like Habitat’s exist, so they can get the help they need too.
"It’s hard out here now. It really is. And to just have somewhere where you can afford to live in a decent, safe, clean place a lot of people don’t realize how many aren’t blessed to have that," Mims said.
Habitat for Humanity has big plans for the property right next to the Long Lake Preserve Townhomes.
"We purchased it about 2 months ago, a little bit under 10 acres with the idea that we’ll be building around 100 townhomes on that property," Sutton said.
Federal officials monitor Middle East threats, experts warn of attacks and cyberattacks in the US
The FBI says its counterterrorism teams are ready to mobilize as experts warn of potential sleeper cell attacks, lone wolf violence, and Iranian cyberattacks targeting U.S. systems.
