People living in underserved communities have few options

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Communities across the Tampa Bay area are struggling after recent hurricanes.

The storm damage and displacement are a devastating blow to people already living in low-income and underserved communities. That's the reality in the Bartlett Park neighborhood in south St. Petersburg.

It's a well-known story in the neighborhood. Hurricane Helene flooded homes on the first floor of an apartment complex. Milton then flooded the area, damaging roofs.

For the people in the Lakeside apartments, this means that the affordable housing they so desperately need is gone.

Parts of the roof lie on the ground, cars damaged by flooding are parked in the parking lot and piles of rubble lie scattered in front of building facades.

Unfortunately, Gregory Ruffin makes his home there. The apartment he shares with his wife is habitable for now. At least for her it has to be that way.

“We just lived here until we found a place to go,” Ruffin said.

Flooding from Hurricane Helene is responsible for most of the damage. The waterline inside extends to the door handles. The effects of Hurricane Milton made this even worse.

“I had a nice apartment. As you can see the cabinets are swollen. I don’t know if you can open the back one,” he said.

Ruffin managed to clean up his apartment as best he could, but the mold is growing while more water damage is discovered.

“My sofas were floating and it was damaged too, but I put the cushions out in the sun and let them dry, then I turned the sofas over and the water that was at the bottom ran down and I put the fan on it , and I turned it the other way,” Ruffin said.

He has a fixed income and is determined to save what he can.

“I had to retire because I had prostate cancer surgery. That was taken care of, but I had other problems. I had to get off the road. I paved roads around this place. That was my job,” he said.

Since his house is destroyed and there aren't many affordable housing options, he's now trying to get his old job back.

“The first and last month’s rent. This is what's killing you. When I get money for rent, they throw it in there first and last, and it blows your mind. They show no compassion,” he said.

He hopes for compassion, but a safe place to stay is what he desperately needs.

“There’s not much I can do, man. Hurts, sick. I try, but I don’t give up, God is good,” Ruffin said.

Ruffin's landlord at Times Square Properties said they are allowing residents to break their leases and return their security deposits. But it brings little relief to Ruffin and his wife.

When asked what they do to help underserved communities, the City of St. Pete said they offer a list of local programs. City officials also said FEMA visited the complex and encouraged people to move because it helped them do so. Some residents say this is not yet the case for them.