More affordable housing could be coming soon to south St. Petersburg after the City received an unsolicited offer from Namaste Homes, LLC to acquire and develop a 0.55-acre vacant, City-owned property on the northwest corner of 18th Avenue South and 18th Street South.

Last month, the City received an unsolicited proposal from Green Mills Group, an affordable housing developer, to construct 96 affordable apartments on another City-owned parcel at 18th Avenue South and 21st Street across from Tangerine Plaza. After inviting alternative proposals, four additional groups, including Habitat for Humanity, submitted their vision for the site.

The proposal submitted by Namaste in partnership with Ardent OZF, LLC, a qualified Opportunity Zone Fund, outlines plans for 11 two-story, three-bed, two-and-half bath townhomes to be sold to households earning below 120% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Based on the current Area Median Income, this means a family of three earning less than $79,800 per year would be eligible. For a family of four, that number is $88,550, and for a family of five, $95,760.