my iphone storage was full, so I bought more space and STILL cannot download them
I bought more storage space and STILL cannot access some of my apps
Just so you're clear on storage, read this article: What's the difference between device storage and iCloud storage? - https://support.apple.com/HT206504
If your phone is out of storage it is likely storage on the device itself. Having iCloud storage can help you with this if you select optimization features:
How to check the storage on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - https://support.apple.com/HT201656 - "If your device is low on storage, iOS automatically optimizes its available space while installing an app, updating iOS, downloading music, recording videos, and more. To make more storage available, iOS can remove some of your items, like streamed music and videos, files in iCloud Drive, and parts of apps that aren't needed. It also removes temporary files and clears the cache on your device. iOS only removes items that can be downloaded again or that aren't needed anymore."