Showing posts with label Homeless. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Homeless. Show all posts

Monday, March 4, 2024

Senate prepares homeless camping ban backed by Ron DeSantis for final vote


The House has passed legislation banning the unhoused from sleeping in public, and the Senate has now positioned the bill for a vote, setting the stage for a Gov. Ron DeSantis priority becoming law.

The measure (HB 1365) would ban counties and municipalities from permitting public sleeping or public camping on public property without explicit permission, creating an unfunded mandate for these localities to round up the homeless and put them somewhere.


Thursday, February 22, 2024

Bill targeting Floridians experiencing homelessness advances in House


A bill that restricts people experiencing homelessness from sleeping on public property moved forward in the State House Thursday. The bill faced support and pushback for various reasons.

The bill is sponsored by Republican Representative Sam Garrison. It bans public sleeping and camping. It also allows for counties to turn certain public areas into homeless encampments.


Monday, January 29, 2024

Florida House to discuss bill that would ban sleeping on public property


The Florida House of Representatives will meet Monday afternoon to continue discussing several proposed bills for this session, including Senate Bill 1530, that aims to target unauthorized public camping and sleeping on public property, which has some homeless advocates upset.....Read More

Thursday, January 25, 2024

Homeless advocates say citations hinder efforts to address homelessness


The Supreme Court has agreed to make a decision on whether it is unconstitutional to ticket homeless people who sleep on public property. The case is considered to be the most significant Supreme Court case relating to the rights of homeless individuals in decades. Advocates for the homeless population say that such citations are hindering efforts to address homelessness.....Read More

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

How Florida contributed to a national homelessness spike


Homelessness in the U.S. reached a record high last year, driven in part by an increase in unhoused Floridians.

More than half of all Americans experiencing homelessness — sheltered and unsheltered — were concentrated in four states including Florida.

That's according to an annual report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Meanwhile, the report shows the state had the second highest rate of unsheltered homeless people, behind California.


Sunday, January 14, 2024

The Supreme Court will decide what cities can do about tent encampments


The Supreme Court announced on Friday it would hear a pivotal case that could transform homelessness policy in the United States. The case is the most significant legal challenge to the rights of homeless people in decades, and how the Court rules in a decision expected later this year will shape how cities respond to tent encampments.....Read More

Thursday, January 11, 2024

Tampa Bay area shelters noticing rise in homeless seniors


The face of homelessness is constantly changing and some shelters are now seeing a growing senior population. A recent study by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development says those 50 and older are the fastest growing age group experiencing homelessness and that those 55 and older make up nearly 20% of the sheltered homeless.....Read More

Friday, December 1, 2023

Camp Street Lights Sheds Light on Youth Homelessness


An estimated 4,265 Hillsborough County students are experiencing homelessness - living in cars, hotels or motels, shelters, or sharing homes with others. While there are programs in place to help address these heartbreaking scenarios, there is much more work to be done. This need prompted Hillsborough County Children's Services to host the County's first-ever overnight sleep-out to bring awareness to this important issue.....Read More

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Hillsborough Cold Weather Shelters To Open Wednesday Night


Hillsborough County’s cold weather shelters program will be activated again tonight, Wednesday, Nov. 29, for the homeless and those who live in homes without adequate heat who are unable to find other accommodations.....Read More

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

New Port Richey's new L.I.F.T. unit focuses on solutions for homeless


The New Port Richey Police Department has created a new unit with a goal of connecting homeless individuals with the resources they need to get back on track.....Read More

Saturday, November 18, 2023

'Sleep-out' event in Hillsborough County brings awareness to youth homelessness


Hillsborough County leaders say that 4,265 students in the county are experiencing some form of homelessness. That’s why Friday night, dozens of participants set up for a 12-hour sleep-out event on the county’s Children’s Services Campus. The event, called Camp Street Lights, was meant to bring awareness to youth homelessness and to let families who need help know that resources are available.....Read More

Saturday, September 23, 2023

Hillsborough County awarded 4.6 million in federal funds to address youth homelessness

Photo by Thomas Hawk licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Hillsborough County received an award of 4.6 million dollars towards ending youth homelessness. The federal funding was announced in Tampa on Wednesday. The funds were given to the Tampa/Hillsborough County Continuum of Care, or CoC.....MORE

Friday, September 22, 2023

Councilwoman Hurtak focused on rapid rehousing options for families


A portion of the annual budget, which was passed by Tampa City Council, has been allocated for affordable housing. District 3 City Councilwoman Lynn Hurtak has announced that funds will be set aside to address the growing issue of homelessness. Her priority will be to focus on rapid rehousing for families. She says her proposal could fill the gap and house families that may not qualify to stay at existing shelters.....MORE

Sunday, September 10, 2023

Housing First is a proven solution to homelessness in America


Providing a safe, secure roof overhead immediately, then addressing other social service needs, is the most humane response to the needs of both our clients and the unhoused whose struggles play out in our cities’ streets. It is also the most effective response, as Housing First’s success in venues from Houston to Helsinki shows. Housing First sharply reduces the number of people who are unhoused and cuts the high cost of government interventions connected to homelessness.....MORE

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Oregon city asks Supreme Court to decide if ticketing homeless people is constitutional


An Oregon city has asked the Supreme Court to determine whether ticketing homeless people for sleeping on public property is cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Constitution.....MORE

Thursday, August 10, 2023

HOPE Cottages closer to helping house the vulnerable


The HOPE cottages in Tampa are one step closer to becoming another temporary housing option for those in need.....MORE

Friday, April 21, 2023

100 tiny homes built in Tampa to help people facing homelessness


More housing is coming to Tampa in an effort to address homelessness.

On Thursday, 100 tiny homes dubbed "Hope Cottages" were unveiled by Catholic Charities Diocese of St. Petersburg, Inc., the city of Tampa and other partners.

More HERE

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

The greater Tampa Bay region is awarded millions by HUD to address homeless crisis


Local agencies in the greater Tampa Bay region are set to receive more than $19 million in annual grant funding to address chronic homelessness in their communities.....MORE

Research Shows Poverty Is 4th Leading Cause of Death in US


Research published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association estimated that poverty was linked to at least 183,000 deaths in the United States in 2019 among people aged 15 or older, making inadequate income the nation's fourth-leading mortality driver that year behind heart disease, cancer, and smoking.....MORE