City of St. Petersburg sees ‘jarring’ number of applicants for utility bill relief [Video]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Thousands of St. Petersburg residents are getting help paying past due electric and water bills, three weeks after the city announced a new utility relief program.

It’s a first-of-its-kind program in Florida, utilizing pandemic funds to help those struggling with utility bills.

In March, the City of St. Petersburg announced it set aside $3 million in federal Covid relief money to help renters pay past due water bills and Duke Energy bills.

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On Tuesday, the city said it received a flood of applicants in the last three weeks: almost 6,000.

“Honestly, it’s jarring,” said Carly Reynolds, a housing development coordinator of the City of St. Petersburg.

Reynolds, who works on this initiative, said behind each application is a story.

“When you’re seeing these applications flood in and people’s stories, a mom, a single mom with kids or an elderly person …