SPHA FSS Participant Achieves Homeownership at Shell Dash Townhomes

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The St. Petersburg Housing Authority (SPHA) is proud to celebrate Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program participant Shanieh Brown, who became one of the ten new homeowners at the brand-new Shell Dash Townhomes in St. Petersburg on April 30, 2025.

The Shell Dash Townhomes development is the result of a fantastic public-private partnership between Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside and the City of St. Petersburg.

SPHA is proud of the hard work and resilience Shanieh put into the Habitat program. She completed over 350 sweat equity hours and completed 38 homebuyer education courses to make her dream of homeownership a reality.

Shanieh Brown and her two children in front of their new home.

The Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program is a voluntary program available to all participants receiving HUD Section 8 Rental Assistance or living in Public Housing who wish to improve their financial situation, eliminate their dependence on public assistance, and are motivated to change their lives. The program emphasizes educational and vocational training that leads to full-time consistent employment. Learn more: www.stpeteha.org/fss-program

ABOUT THE ST. PETERSBURG HOUSING AUTHORITY (SPHA):
An independent quasi-governmental entity and a political subdivision of the State of Florida, operating under Chapter 421 Florida Statutes, SPHA is the local administrative agency for housing assistance programs funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). SPHA offers a variety of programs and services that provide affordable rental housing to low-income families, seniors, veterans, and the disabled in the greater St. Petersburg region. For more information, visit www.stpeteha.org.