St. Pete mayoral candidate revokes evictions from the complex he has purchased

The evictions were filed shortly after Alderman Robert Blackmon took over the property, but were fired under pressure from the St. Pete Tenants Union.

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida – Located on 45th Avenue South in St. Petersburg, the Paradise Apartment Complex is home to some of the city’s low-income renters like Terrance Gordon.

“It was a bit tough,” Gordon explained, adding that the roof of his apartment gave way after a problem with the air conditioning.

Gordon, a cancer survivor, says he pays around $ 800 a month in rent, of which $ 600 is covered by government vouchers.

He was slightly behind on his rent when Robert Blackmon, a member of St. Pete City Council and a candidate for mayor, bought the property and quickly issued eviction notices to Gordon and two other tenants.

“I’ve been in this apartment for over eight years now,” said Gordon. “I have no place to go right now if you smear me. Where the hell should I get an apartment? “

Members of the St. Pete Tenants Union say situations like this are all too common across town as low-income renters are being evicted from their homes.

“This kind of landlord apathy is a reality for many poor people in town,” said Karla Correa, a member of the St. Pete Tenants Union. “Maintenance requests are ignored, they are harassed and driven away by landlords.”

Following a candidate forum last night in St. Pete, Blackmon, who works as a full-time developer, confirmed to Emerald Morrow of 10 Tampa Bay that he had purchased the units and was working on making improvements.

“It’s a complex that I recently bought,” said Blackmon. “I have already started a six-figure renovation and continue to pursue my mission to provide affordable, high-quality housing for everyone and every district in our city.”

However, members of the St. Pete Tenants Union say the evictions were only released after they participated.

“This is not acceptable to anyone, especially an elected official, especially someone running for mayor who says they care about affordable housing,” Correa said during a Tuesday morning press conference describing the situation was highlighted.

They are now calling on Blackmon to help his tenants stay in their apartments.

“We are asking that he offer these tenants long-term leases with the same rent they are paying now,” Correa said.

For Gordon, it’s about having a place to call home.

“Don’t throw me under the bus and then throw me on the street. I’ve been homeless before, I’m not trying to be homeless again. “

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The post St. Pete mayoral candidate revokes evictions from the complex he has purchased first appeared on Daily Florida Press.

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