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STRATEGIC PLAN ON HOMELESSNESS

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Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative (THHI) is designated by federal, state and local governments to serve as the lead entity and grant administrator of the Tampa/ Hillsborough County Continuum of Care (CoC). The CoC is a strategic planning body on the issue of homelessness. Through the efforts of the CoC, our community has made significant headway in the fight against homelessness. Based on the Hillsborough County 2014 Homeless Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, there were 1,091 people unsheltered, sleeping on the street or in places not meant for human habitation, in Hillsborough County.  As of the February 2019 PIT Count, 672 people were unsheltered, a five year decrease of 38% in the number of people that are experiencing homelessness and were unsheltered.  Our community has also experienced significant decreases in the other subpopulations:

 

  • 15% decrease in overall homelessness

  • 37% decrease in Veteran homelessness

  • 35% decrease in chronic homelessness

  • 36% decrease in unaccompanied youth homelessness (2015 data)

  • 37% decrease in family homelessness

 

The CoC has enthusiastically adopted a series of evidence-based practices collectively known as Housing First. Business, government, healthcare, human services, and philanthropic leaders have coalesced around making homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring in Hillsborough County.  To truly address homelessness, the community must simultaneously address the top causes of homelessness:

 

lack of affordable housing

unemployment

poverty

low wages

mental illness

substance abuse

 

The 560 In 560 addresses the issue of unsheltered homelessness and some of the top causes leading to homelessness. The goal of 560 In 560 is to provide housing opportunities to 560 people in 560 days, beginning June 2019 through December 2020.  This aggressive and lofty goal focuses on reducing the percentage of unsheltered homelessness by 90% from the number reported in the 2014 PIT Count. 560 In 560 will assemble an array of resources that can rapidly house individuals and families from emergency shelters and move them towards self-sufficiency with minimal assistance. This process will simultaneously make emergency shelter and permanent housing available for those sleeping on the streets or places not meant for human habitation and that require more intensive assistance prior to becoming self-sufficient. The CoC will strengthen its partnerships and programs with key players and develop new partnerships and programs to reach the goal of 560 In 560.

 

Click below to read about the initiatives and events that will help achieve the goal:  

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