Pinellas Hope likely to stay open

Pinellas Hope, the controversial tent city that has housed more than 400 homeless people since December, most likely will remain open through the summer, organizers said.

In March, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker and the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce announced a fundraising drive to save the outdoor shelter, which was slated to close April 30.

Frank Murphy, president of Catholic Charities Diocese of St. Petersburg, told the St. Petersburg Times on Thursday that the campaign has been a success. He expects to receive a $200,000 check sometime next week that would allow the camp to remain open until at least September.

"We are letting people know that we plan to stay here," Murphy said.

Catholic Charities opened the tent city on a private lot owned by the diocese in unincorporated Pinellas County in December. At the time, the organization said the tent city was a five-month experiment. Opponents criticized the shelter and called for more permanent housing. 

More than 400 homeless people have stayed at the shelter since it opened. At least 90 people were discharged from the shelter because they had found housing. There are still about 220 people living at Pinellas Hope, and dozens of names remain on the shelter's waiting list.

-Cristina Silva, Times Staff Writer