TAMPA -- The city of Tampa tweaks an apartment crime prevention program to avoid unnecessary evictions in the middle of an affordable housing shortage.
According to a city news release, Mayor Jane Castor, City Council Chair Orlando Gudes, and state Representative
Dianne Hart announced new safeguards for the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program. From now on, only certain serious drug and violent felonies will be reported to landlords, and only those arrest notices that happened on that particular property. Gudes says he didn't want policy to unintentionally make the affordable housing crisis worse.
The entire release follows:
Improvements to Crime Prevention Program Announced
TAMPA, Fla. (Saturday, September 18, 2021) -- Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, City Council Chairman Orlando Gudes, and state Rep. Dianne Hart today announced
several changes to Tampa's Crime Free Multi-Housing program to improve safeguards against inappropriate evictions.
The Tampa Police Department's Crime Free Program is a voluntary partnership between multifamily landlords, tenants, and officers to reduce crime.
Components include education, improved landscaping and design, and facilitating access to public records regarding criminal activity on the
premises. The program has helped significantly reduce crime rates in complexes serving tens of thousands of Tampa residents.
Mayor Castor, Chairman Gudes, and Rep. Hart met Friday to discuss ways to better protect tenants from unfair evictions. They agreed to several changes:
Crimes Reported - Specifically identified and limited the types of criminal offenses that are reported to only include certain serious drug and violent
felonies (Arrest Notices not issued for misdemeanors.)
Oversight - TPD added an additional level of oversight by requiring a Captain's sign-off for all Arrest Notices issued.
Limited to Property - Arrest Notices are only sent when the crime occurred ON the property of the complex registered for the program.
These follow several previous changes made under the Castor administration in 2019, including making clear that the Tampa Police Department is not involved
in screening or eviction decisions.
"No Tampa resident should have to live where they fear to let their kids play outside, and this voluntary program has improved the safety and quality of
life for tens of thousands of people. I really appreciate the leadership and collaboration from Chairman Gudes and Rep. Hart to help us improve and
continue this program that is a benefit to our entire community," Mayor Castor said.
"Yesterday, Mayor Castor, State Representative Dianne Hart, and I met to discuss how we can meet the needs of our residents, while working to keep each
resident safe. Every person deserves to have equitable, affordable housing that is safe and we are working to ensure that," said Chairman Gudes.
"Revising this program was paramount and I'm glad that we were able to make the necessary adjustments so that we are not arbitrarily compounding on the
affordable housing crisis we currently have in this City. This is a conversation that we will need to continue to have and a concern that my
office will continue to monitor. We have to balance correctly on this tightrope because it's a fine line between protecting residents and
overreaching too far to where we are burdening the already crisis in this City."
"Mayor Castor, Chairman Gudes, and I share a commitment that all residents deserve access to decent, affordable and safe homes," Rep. Hart said. " I am
glad we could come together to make some changes to this program as it's former state had serious consequences that disrupt the lives of good people.
It is my hope that we will continue this dialogue and make the necessary changes to benefit the good people of Tampa."
Photo: Canva