Page 11 - Florida Sentinel 12-25-18

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Groundbreaking Ceremony Held For Affordable Housing Development
BY JULIA JACKSON Freelance Writer
A groundbreaking cer- emony was held recently for a new affordable hous- ing development in East Tampa. The ceremony was held November 27, 2018 at 4229 E. Curtis St., where the first home is being built.
Victoria (Vicki) Hopps, President, founded the housing de- velopment, “Club 48,” in honor of her late husband, Willie, who lost a battle with lung disease at the age of 48.
The family had seen its share of struggles to pro- vide housing for the family of 8. Both parents worked hard to provide for their 6 children.
It is reported that the housing cost in the last 8 years has skyrocketed. The cost of a home in East
Ms. Kevida Gued, right, assists with the groundbreaking of her new home. She was assisted by David Straz and Club 48 founder, Vicki Hopps, center. (Photo by Julia Jackson)
nances.
Those who join the
club, pay $48.00 a month for at least 10 months to earn a down payment as they prepare to move into their home.
Members attend sev- eral classes and are trained in many areas, in- cluding family counseling, budgeting and homeown- ership training.
The first home has al- ready been awarded to Kevida Gued, a 32-year- old mother of 3 (11, 9, and 5). She spent several weeks meeting with Ms. Hopps and other African American female contrac- tors to prepare to become a first-time homebuyer. New furnishings have al- ready been donated for her home.
To find out more about Hopps Affordable Home- ownership, go to https://club48.club/.
Tampa is over $111,000. That’s part of the rea- son Ms. Hopps founded Club 48: “to assist families that have a dream of being a homeowner, but can’t qualify for a traditional
mortgage, or may have had some other chal- lenges.”
Actively involved in construction for over 12 years, Ms. Hopps is a State of Florida Certified
General Contractor. She has many years experi- ence on many projects: schools, airports and mili- tary bases.
She started Club 48 with her personal fi-
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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 11-A