Why Hernando County is ready for Habitat Pinellas/Pasco expansion
By Pam Huff
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: May 3, 2024

Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties will expand into Hernando County, an initiative that's been in the works for a few years.

This chapter of Habitat for Humanity received calls on a monthly basis from residents living in Hernando County, asking if they could apply to their program, according to CEO Mike Sutton.

"It became pretty obvious to us that there's a gap in service in Hernando County," Sutton told the Tampa Bay Business Journal. "We know Hernando is going through a bit of a boom; maybe not nearly like Pasco County is, but we do know that there's a lot going on in Hernando County, and people need affordable places to live."

The affiliate will release a new name and brand in a few weeks. For now, it's under contract on land in Spring Hill where it would build 24 single-family homes.

As for staffing, Sutton expects to hire in Spring Hill and add an office.

Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties has honed in on building affordable housing and closed some other portions of its business, like the ReStore retail stores and home repairs, to maintain that focus.

"A lot of times nonprofits tend to chase money and opportunities. Our organization has just kind of doubled down on finding what we do well. Just because there's a big grant opportunity doesn't mean we're going to throw an RFP together and chase those dollars and create a program," Sutton said.

"We're looking forward to building our network in Hernando County and making friends and finding ways to serve more families," he added.