Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 7-16-19

Features
‘Bridges To Business’ Vendor Certification Tour
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Last Saturday, Mayor Jane Castor hosted the first Bridges To Business” Vendor Certification Tour. The first stop on the tour took place at the Cyrus Greene Commu- nity Center in East Tampa. Next month, Mayor Castor will visit the West Tampa area. The date has not been determined.
This marks the first time City staff from the Purchas- ing Department and the Mi- nority and Small Business Development Office went to Tampa’s neighborhoods to certify and/or register com- panies with the City of Tampa.
The goal of the “Bridges to Business” Vendor Certifica- tion Tour is to meet entrepre- neurs in the communities where they serve in an effort to connect them with basic information that has the po- tential to lead to government contract work.
Mayor Castor said, “Bringing city services into the neighborhoods ensures local businesses have access to the tools they need to build a long term relationship with the City.
“Improving the number of minority, woman-owned and small businesses that have an opportunity to bid on city
projects and guarantees an inclusive, equitable and open process for all businesses to have a chance to thrive lo- cally.”
During the event, busi- ness owners or their repre- sentatives learned the ins and outs of doing business with the city. Staff was on-site to walk firms through the appli- cation process for minority, woman-owned, or small business certification. Prime contractors and non-profit organizations were also on hand to provide information on current projects.
The Bridges to Business Vendor Certification Tour is free and open to business owners or their representa- tives. Those unable to attend Saturday’s event are strongly encouraged to register at: tampagov.net/BTBTour for future stops.
MAYOR JANE CASTOR
California Based Expert Has A Conversation With Large Crowd About Affordable Housing
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
Affordable housing is such a hot topic these days in cities all over the United States. But a national hous- ing consultant says it’s as much of a global issue as it is a local one.
Jennifer LeSar – pres- ident and CEO of California- based Estolado LeSar Advisors – told a packed crowd Friday at community forum Café Con Tampa that unavailability of housing is a problem worldwide, thanks to a constrained supply, high demand, stagnant wages, and the increased cost of construction.
Identifying the causes of the problem is critical to de- veloping policies to combat it, LeSar who is an expert in community development and real estate finance, said.
Adding to the problem are demographic shifts.
Millennials – long resist- ant to homeownership – are now entering the market. Homes in low-income areas are ideal for a first purchase,
JENNIFER LESAR .....Co-CEO and Co-Founder Estolado LeSar Advisors
leading to displacement and gentrification, LeSar said.
Solutions are available, but it requires the involve- ment of all stakeholders, es- pecially corporate leaders who often are missing from the conversation, she said.
One of the keys to in- creasing the availability of af- fordable housing is to make it a priority no matter the sta- tus of the economy.
It’s ideal to build during a recession because materials are cheaper, but building also should continue during
boom times, LeSar said. “You have to keep build- ing in all economies,” she
said.
It’s also important to bal-
ance building without trig- gering displacement and gentrification – and that be- gins with knowing the differ- ence between the two terms, LeSar said.
“You can have gentrifica- tion without displacement,” she said. “Many communities have the capacity to take on more housing.”
That could include invit- ing churches – many of which have an abundance of land – into the conversation, as well as community foun- dations and corporate phi- lanthropy, LeSar said.
Legislators also play a role, although anti-growth stances with local govern- ments can stunt efforts, LeSar said.
Still, resolving the issue requires consistent conversa- tion that includes all the stakeholders.
“We have to talk and talk- ing needs to be inclusive,” she said.
Meeting
Jackson Heights Neighborhood Association
And Crime Watch
Jackson Heights Neighborhood Association and Crime Watch will hold its meeting on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, from 6:30 P. M. until 7:30 P. M., at the Jackson Heights NFL YET Center, 3310 E. Lake Avenue, Tampa 33610.
The guest speaker will be Mr. Harold Jackson, Commu- nity Liaison for Tampa Family Health Centers. The community is invited to attend.
Also, the Jackson Heights Neighborhood Association is en- couraging all neighbors to join the association to forge com- munity unity and strength.
Fran Tate is President.
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