The sound of pounding hammers pierced the frigid morning air. Clad in yellow construction hats and their heaviest jackets, business leaders more accustomed to driving corporations drove nails into wood, creating the framework of a home and the structure for economic mobility.
Amid temperatures in the low 40s and a blustery breeze, an array of CEOs warmed their hearts by teaming up on a project that eventually opened the door to prosperity for Lace Simmons and her two teenage daughters. Habitat for Humanity - Tampa Bay Gulfside brought together 75 leaders to raise $300,000 for the build.
“What motivates me is affordable living. Providing shelter for all our constituents in the community is important,” offers Serenity Village owner and author Gary Hartfield. “The coldest morning in a while reminds us of the need for shelter, the need for housing, the need to make sure everyone is cared for appropriately in our community. I try to make a difference for our people who need affordable housing. We’re looking out for their basic needs.”
But the efforts of the CEOs represented more than just a fresh opportunity for one family.
A new report commissioned by the Tampa Bay Builders Association indicates that Pinellas County, and all of Tampa Bay, continues to see migration out to communities like Lakeland, Sarasota, Ocala and beyond the state borders.
United Way Suncoast's latest ALICE (Asset-Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) report estimates that 47% of households in Pinellas County either live below the poverty line or paycheck to paycheck, one unexpected expense away from dire circumstances. It’s a group that faces challenges finding homes that fit their budget. St. Petersburg continues to be a destination for affluent buyers, but it’s a different story for other groups.
“When we rolled out the CEO build, the whole purpose was to bring together community leaders, people in CEO and president roles, so we could put a little bit more information in their hands and in their minds about such a need,” explains Habitat - Tampa Bay Gulfside CEO Mike Sutton. “We’re seeing the workforce leave the area. We have to figure out ways to keep people in the community, so we feel there’s no better way than to get in front of the CEOs of these big companies in order to do so. The hope would be that they rally behind us and support Habitat in a greater way.”
Habitat Tampa Bay is one of the leading chapters in the U.S. for the number of homes built, but it hasn’t grown any easier for Sutton and his team in recent years. Lots that would have gone for as little as $10,000 apiece 10 years ago have now skyrocketed to a total of $150,000. Sutton says out-of-state investors and speculators have come into the market and increased property values, making his nonprofit’s mission more challenging.
However, Habitat has countered this challenge with the help of public-private partnerships. In the case of the Simmons’ home, both Crown Automotive Group and Pinellas County played a role in eliminating barriers.
Habitat is eager to share such success stories with top executives. It has put together a CEO build since 2022, and the concept is now in its fourth year. The CEOs quickly learn about the business acumen that yields homes, but also about the resolve of homeowners like Simmons, who currently works as a product specialist at Crown Kia. Through the program, she will pay a zero-interest loan for the home, after completing a robust homebuyer education curriculum and investing 350 to 450 hours of “sweat equity” in the project.
“What matters most to me is that my family has a legacy that they can build on,” Simmons shared. “I can pass this down to my daughters. It’s ours. It’s so much more meaningful—so much more real for us.”
The CEOs take away inspiration from stories like this one. But they also take away the realization that they have the opportunity to do more to lift up the area and address the issues emanating from the rising cost of housing. Sutton contends that it is not a problem that our business leaders can ignore.
“If we want to continue to enjoy all that our community has to offer, all the restaurants, all the different establishments, all the entertainment, then we have to find a way to keep people in our community,” he asserts. “Wrapping your arms around an organization like Habitat is one way we can do that, to ensure these folks have a place to live and a place to raise their children and they’re not so cost-burdened that it drives them out of the community.”
Ernest Hooper is Chief Communications Officer at United Way
Suncoast and a former writer and editor at the Tampa Bay Times. To learn more, visit tinyurl.com/HabitatTBG
