Uplifting
Catholic Charities getting Tampa's homeless back on their feet
At Catholic Charities' Tampa Hope site, formerly homeless residents Odell Reyes and Stephanie Bennett are transitioning to full-time housing.
Key takeaways
- Odell Reyes achieved sobriety and is transitioning to full-time housing with his wife after a month at the Tampa Hope site.
- Stephanie Bennett accomplished more in four weeks at the facility than in eleven years of being homeless.
- The homeless population in the City of Tampa has decreased to 1,761 from 2,040 in 2023.
- The program focuses on building up an identity rather than just kicking the can down the road.
At Catholic Charities' Tampa Hope site, formerly homeless residents Odell Reyes and Stephanie Bennett are transitioning to full-time housing. After living on the streets for years, the couple credits the program's mental, physical, and community support with helping them achieve sobriety, access mental health care, and secure a subsidized apartment within just four weeks.
The program demonstrates how structured support and subsidized housing can rapidly end long-term homelessness.
In their words
“And when we feel like we're human, we act human.”
“It's not about just kicking the can down the road. It's about building up an identity.”
By the numbers
- 200
- people in need receiving breakfast and clothes
- 1,761
- homeless people in Tampa today
- 2,040
- homeless people in Tampa in 2023
- 4 weeks
- time spent at the facility by Stephanie Bennett
How it unfolded
- Tampa homeless population recorded at 2,040 people
- Catholic Charities hosts clothing giveaway and raffle
Turn stories like this into views
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#United States
#Catholic Charities
#Tampa-Hillsborough Homeless Initiative
#John Pessano
#Matthew Duffy
Common questions
- What happened with A homeless couple's transition to stable housing?
- Odell Reyes achieved sobriety and is transitioning to full-time housing with his wife after a month at the Tampa Hope site.
- Where can I read the original report?
- Read the full report at Google News.
