Mariposa Open House & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

The newly renovated Mariposa Apartment homes represent what can be done with NSP funds

An old swimming pool was replaced with a beautifully designed courtyard, complete with brick walkways and trees

From left, Ronald Herbert, HUD Tampa Acting Field Office Director; Yvonne Yolie Capin, Tampa City Council; Phillip Smith, Crosland; Congresswoman Kathy Castor (FL-10); Arnold Bowen, DDA Development (rear); Joe Rutherford, MHC's CEO (front); Guy King III, Board Chairman; and Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn dedicate the new era of Mariposa Apartments

Your Neighborhood Stabilization Program at Work in Tampa

A privately owned apartment complex, previously in disrepair and deemed unsafe by both residents and neighbors alike, is the latest beneficiary of HUD's Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). Through a unique public/private partnership, the City of Tampa and Mental Health Care, Inc. (MHC) worked together to transform an unusable property into 38 residential units of affordable housing. The City of Tampa, having received $38 million in NSP funding last year, granted $7.3 million to MHC for the design, rehabilitation and re-construction of this development. DDA Development Company provided an entirely new design and directed its reconstruction with a central courtyard for resident enjoyment. Complete interior upgrades and exterior building improvements now have the complex looking brand new.

On August 30, 2011, a steamy Tampa morning did not deter invitees, including the HUD Tampa Office's Acting Field Office Director, Ronald Herbert, from accepting an invitation to represent HUD at a ribbon cutting ceremony and dedication for the new Mariposa Apartment Homes. The event was also attended by Congresswoman Kathy Castor (FL-11), Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, and MHC CEO Joseph Rutherford. An audience of city and housing officials, local agency representatives and others expressed deep appreciation for this major expansion of affordable housing in an area of great need. Even as the ceremony proceeded, the first residents of Mariposa were making preparations to move into their new, safe and affordable homes.

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