Tampa Homeless Outreach Team Helps Family Find New Home After Hurricane Damage

Family's Struggle After Hurricane Milton

• 🌪️ A family, including Harrison Best and Miranda Puit, faced immense stress after Hurricane Milton destroyed their apartment.
• 🌳 A tree fell through their home, making it difficult to escape and leaving them with no place to live.
• 💸 The family struggled to afford hotel stays, and Puit's subsequent ACL tear and job loss led to them becoming officially homeless.

Tampa's Homeless Outreach Team Intervention

• 🤝 The family connected with Tampa's homeless outreach team for assistance.
• 🏠 The city reports that this team has permanently housed 224 households since its creation three years ago.
• 📈 The team is seeing an increase in homelessness due to affordability issues, a lack of housing supply, and the inability to earn enough to cover rising costs.

Partnership and Support Services

• 📍 Homeless Outreach Coordinator Manuel Peligree works with various agencies to ensure people receive necessary help, meeting individuals where they are.
• 🤝 Peligree partnered with the Tampa nonprofit Family Promise to provide comprehensive support.
• 🏡 Family Promise offers more than just shelter, providing shelter beds, meals, case management, job readiness training, and a long-term stability plan.

A New Beginning

• ✨ The family has now settled into a new home, described by Puit as a dream home with individual rooms and a dishwasher.
• 🙏 They are back on their feet and express gratitude for the help they received.
• 💬 The message to others in need is to reach out for help, as there are people who care.