Tampa homeowners probably need the government’s help more than in other places.
After all, Florida’s Tampa Bay reported the nation’s third highest rate of foreclosures as recently as May. But those seeking in-person help from the government will be out of luck.
The federal housing department, which handles such things as emergency placements for the evicted and the newly homeless, is slated to shutter its office in the area within the next four months.
It is among 16 field offices of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that will close as part of the agency’s plan to trim costs and“create efficiencies.” Four of those offices serve eight cities with the highest rates of foreclosures.
“We need the boots on the ground in Tampa to help us deal with the housing crisis. Now is not the time to pull out,” said Sylvia Alvarez, executive director of the Housing and Education Alliance, a nonprofit group that helps people with housing issues in Tampa.
According to a HUD memo, all the closures were “based on the business needs of the Department.” The 80 field offices spread across the country is just too many, according to a HUD official. The official also said that a majority of cases are handled over the phone, or online, and only about 10% of the people actually walk into HUD offices. Besides, not all of the offices, including Tampa’s, even have foreclosure experts.
But nonprofit workers on the ground say HUD offices work as a clearing house for people who have lost homes and need to get a roof over their heads within a day.”