ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Hundreds of tenants plan to protest outside of St. Petersburg City Hall Thursday evening in response to skyrocketing rent prices.
According to Karla Correa with the St. Petersburg Tenants Union, more than 200 people are expected at the protest that is set for 5 p.m.
What You Need To Know
- Protest planned for outside St. Pete City Hall Thursday evening
- According to Karla Correa with the St. Petersburg Tenants Union, more than 200 people are expected
- PREVIOUS STORY: City Council committee shoots down rent control resolution for St. Pete
"We're trying to rein in the profiteers, we're trying to rein in the landlords," Correa said. "You can't raise the rent exorbitant amounts because these are our homes and investors want to make money."
The group is pushing for the St. Petersburg City Council to reconsider a housing state of emergency and allow a rent control initiative to hit the November ballot. Rehousing assistance and landlord registries are also topics these tenants would like the city council to explore.
"They don't want to acknowledge that this is an emergency because then they would have to acknowledge that what they've been doing has not been working," Correa said. "This free rein free market solution with housing has not been working."
Last Thursday, a St. Petersburg city council committee voted against a rent control resolution. Council members who voted against the resolution voiced concerns that the plan could backfire or cause lawsuits.