Affordable housing is key to providing long-term economic stability by allowing residents, especially lower-income families, room to allocate resources to things like, nutrition, healthcare, education, child care and transportation. In the past 5 years the gross median rent price has increased nearly 20% in St. Petersburg. While income too has increased overall, not all residents are earning enough to match the rise in housing costs. For example, the Black median household income in St. Petersburg remains nearly 33% lower than the city’s average ($36,340 vs. $53,816).