In March 2021, Carlinys Rodriguez and her two sons, ages 7 and 8, were kicked out of their home by a family member and she thought they had nowhere to go. But she found her way to the Salvation Army’s George W. Jenkins Community of Hope neighborhood off Kathleen Road, a 49-acre, family-friendly neighborhood that helps struggling families overcome their circumstances and rebuild their lives. More
A Brooklyn apartment developer looking to expand into new markets has chosen a site off Old Tampa Highway, drawn by increased demand for housing for workers at large west Lakeland warehousing and shipping centers. More
Swan Landing, an affordable apartment project on Griffin Road that faced delays after being initially approved for federal and city funds two years ago, is on the move again and will add 88 apartments to the mix available for income-qualified families and individuals. More
A 96-unit apartment complex is planned for the Westgate neighborhood, south of George Jenkins Boulevard and west of Lake Beulah, and should bring new affordable housing to the area, city officials said at Monday morning’s Lakeland City Commission meeting. More
James and Lavern Watkins dreamed of owning their own home to raise their children and looked for several years, but couldn’t find anything in their price range. More
For seven years, the city of Lakeland has for been looking for a builder to purchase the 1.5-acre, city-owned Oak Street parking lot downtown and replace it with a multi-use development. And now it has a deal with a company that wants to build a seven-story apartment complex with a 424-space parking garage. More
Residential rents in Lakeland rose an average 11.1% during the last year, but increases were far steeper — nearly 20% on average — near the center of town, according to information compiled by Rent Hub. Still, the central city has Lakeland’s lowest median rents; the highest were found in the southside ZIP codes of 33811 and 33813. More
Skyrocketing home values and rental rates are issues across Central Florida but rising housing costs in Lakeland are particularly acute because it is “5,000 residences short” for a city its size, Mayor Bill Mutz said at a forum on housing and homelessness. More
Here are photos and partial video from “Humanity, Housing and Homelessness,” a forum held Thursday evening at Catapult Lakeland. An article about the forum will be added later today. More
A pledge by Lakeland’s mayor to hold landlords responsible for clearing up unsafe living conditions drew enthusiastic praise from leaders of the Polk Ecumenical Council for Empowerment (PEACE) and the crowd of up to 1,000 people at a drive-in rally Tuesday evening. More
