ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) – 8 On Your Side is providing an update on an issue we covered earlier this week regarding some residents of a mobile home park in Pinellas County who feel they are being driven out of their residences.
The inhabitants of The Gateway Mobile Home Park are grandparents, veterans, and neighbors who seek a just resolution with the county. The management claims that the compliance demands placed on them are excessively difficult and unrealistic.
“As you can see, my house is completely livable,” stated homeowner Brenda Tucker. “There’s absolutely nothing wrong here. I’ve never had any water problems.”
Yet Pinellas County deemed Tucker’s mobile home substantially damaged five months after the storms, and it sent her into a panic.
“They insisted that I take photos of all my cabinets,” she explained. “There’s nothing wrong with my cabinets. They were never removed, contrary to what was claimed.”
It wasn’t only her cabinets. The county also said she replaced her AC unit for $9,000.
“They’re telling me I did all these things, which adds up to $28,000,” Tucker said. “I didn’t do any of that.”
Tucker received a letter from Pinellas County giving her four options to become in compliance, stating that by June 1, 2026, she must:
- Elevate and repair her home
- Replace her home with an elevated one
- Move her home to a location outside of the flood hazard area
- Move to a new home and remove her damaged home from the property
“I can’t do any of those,” said Tucker.
Kevin McAndrew, director of Pinellas County Building & Development Review Services, said, “The idea is to prevent homeowners from making a large investment only to face the same cycle again in two years.”
Tucker wasn’t the only one in the red.
In a statement to 8 On Your Side, the Gateway management team wrote:
Over 130 homes in the Gateway community are still affected by these “substantially damaged” classifications, which often do not accurately represent the actual state of the homes or the considerable repair work already done by the residents. Furthermore, some residents who did experience damage had received FEMA funds, repaired their homes, but are now told they overspent and that their homes are still deemed substantially damaged.
McAndrew said the county performed additional analysis after its preliminary damage assessment.
“We reduced it from about 235 to about 135,” McAndrew said. “Of those 135, approximately 100 pursued the reassessment; that’s about 75%.”
McAndrew said the Gateway generally saw anywhere from 18 inches to 3 feet of water across the property, and the county is trying to protect the community from future harm. However, management at the Gateway said the county is also trying to protect its federal flood insurance program discounts, at the cost of its residents’ homes and livelihoods.
“We thought we were good probably till we died, and then this thing came in, and there was a storm absolutely, and some people did get a lot of damage, but I’m one that didn’t,” Tucker said.
Tucker retired at the age of 57 after a career in advertising in Illinois. She’s been living at the Gateway ever since on a fixed income.
“It seems like they’re wanting to get as many people out as they can,” she said.
“The county clearly recognizes the importance of the mobile home communities as part of the fabric of Pinellas County,” McAndrew said.
The Gateway said, “We call on Pinellas County to reconsider its approach and adopt a more reasonable and compassionate evaluation process. Our residents should not be forced out of their homes due to impractical demands or unfair assessments.”
“I love living here,” Tucker said. “We have a great time here. There’s a lot of camaraderie, a lot of friends here.”
Pinellas County received $813 million in community grants. Some of those who were deemed substantially damaged may be eligible. The county rollout will begin as soon as next month. Residents will need to apply on the website with application info once available:
