News and Updates

2024

• Faith leaders demand more affordable housing in St. Pete

• ABC Action News - FAST calls for meeting with St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch to discuss affordable housing options

• St. Pete Catalyst - Is St. Pete Meeting Its Housing Goals

• Mayor & Faith Group Disagree on Affordable Housing

2023

• More coverage of FAST calling Mayor Welch to create more affordable housing

• Non-profit leaders call on Mayor Ken Welch to create more affordable housing

• Faith leaders call for more affordable housing

• NewsChannel 8 - Faith leaders call on St. Pete mayor for 5,000 more affordable housing units by the end of his term

• Tampa Bay’s 10 - St. Pete faith leaders demand more affordable housing from mayor

• ABC Action News - St. Petersburg organization FAST pushes for more affordable housing in the city

• Spectrum Bay News 9 - Affordable housing group to weigh in on St. Pete’s expanded 10-year housing plan

• Tampa Bay Times - Pinellas faith group calls for action on red tide, affordable housing at forum

• Tampa Bay Times - Pinellas’ big mental health connection plans coming soon, officials say

2022

• St Pete Catalyst - Commissioners approve $9 million for behavioral health

• ABC Action News - Religious leaders: Stop arresting people for suspended licenses tied to unpaid fees and fines

• St Pete Catalyst - Intercepting arrest for minor driving infractions

• Pinellas religious groups join forces to hold political power to account

2021

• Solving the intractable affordable housing crisis

• FAST highlights the need for Commissioners to fulfill their commitments on affordable housing

2020

• October 26, 2020- Video of our Zoom Annual Assembly with over 600 people!

• July 28, 2020- Video of our Rally for Mental Health!

• July 9 2020 The Direct Action and Research Training (DART) Center says Florida must train law enforcement to use civil citations over child arrests

• July 9, 2020 Statewide call to Florida law enforcement to reduce arrests of children and use civil citations instead

• June 11, 2020- Video of FAST statement on Racial Justice.

• Video Update April 2020 from Bishop Parkes, Rabbi Michael Torop, Dr. Bartholomew Banks and Rev. Keith Walbolt

• Letter from FAST Executive Committee regarding cancelled 2020 Nehemiah Action

2019

• FAST pushes County Commissioners to spend affordable housing money on low-income families

• Done right, restorative justice works

• People want police to address racial profiling. 

• Restorative Justice in Pinellas County Schools

• Thousands rally for more affordable housing funding

• County Commission approves our housing resolution

• A Better Way - News coverage from FAST’s work in 2014 to develop PCET - an empowerment team to keep people with mental health challenges out of the criminal justice system

2018

• Hundreds attend rally to find school solutions

• Group pushes for more Tampa Bay affordable housing

• Two Pinellas School Board members split on FAST questions

• Commit to Support affordable housing

• Pinellas County continues mission to add affordable housing

2017

• Video: FAST's gathering of 100 people at a County Commission Meeting

• FAST members advocate for more affordable housing money from Penny for Pinellas

• Juvenile justice reform seen as help for teen car theft problem

• Bay Area residents desperate for affordable housing.

• Local Group says Pinellas County is in affordable housing crisis.

• FAST wants more Penny for Pinellas tax money spent on affordable housing.

• It's official: Penny for Pinellas will be back on the ballot

• Spiritual Shenanigans: When Christians (and people of other faiths) actually act the way Jesus suggested, here's what happens

• Bay News 9 Coverage of our 2017 Nehemiah Action

• Fox 13 Coverage of our 2017 Rally

• FAST members hold prayer vigil for civil citation program

2016

• Hundreds call for reduction in youth arrests.

• FAST Nehemiah Action 2016! 

• FAST Education Committee presses school board to change suspension policies

• Tampa Bay Times Editorial highlights the need for FAST to continue our education work

• Tampa Bay Times covers the FAST Education Committee gathering in Feb 2016

2015

• FAST votes to tackle education- News Coverage of the 2015 Annual Assembly by the Weekly Challenger

• FAST advocates for Civil Citations- coverage of the 2015 Annual Assembly by Channel 8 news

• The disadvantaged workers' ordinance- click here for news coverage by SaintPetersBlog   

• Jobs for Disadvantaged workers! Click here for Tampa Bay Times coverage of the disadvantaged workers' ordinance we got passed in St. Petersburg

• FAST Coalition presses public officials for change. Click here for Tampa Bay Times coverage of the Nehemiah Action. 

• Justice for Juveniles? Click here to see the Herald Tribune report on our bill in the Florida House aimed at giving kids a second chance- March 30, 2015

• Tampa Bay Times reports on our bill in the Florida House that will help reduce youth arrests-Click Here- March 30, 2015

• Clergy take a stand against youth arrests - January 16, 2015