This project funds immediate needs services, temporary housing and transition to permanent housing for 50 of the most vulnerable people impacted by Hurricane Michael in the Florida Panhandle. Solution: housing Provides a platform for recovery Housing Provides Safety Housing Provides connection with community Housing Saves the community in emergency services
A rare Category 5 Hurricane hit the Florida Panhandle on October 10, 2018. The storm displaced 22,000 residents and many more are living in unsafe dwellings, in vehicles or on the street. On May 15, 2019, the Community Recovery Center was created to serve as a one stop disaster assistance center. Since May, over 5,000 storm impacted citizens have visited the center to seek assistance. Almost three years later, we still have visible damage and many people are still stuggling.
Following Hurricane Michael, we will reduce homelessness in the Florida Panhandle by deploying three basic approaches: 1. Outreach 2. Rental Assistance 3. Targeted housing. All activities conducted through the Community Recovery Center. Research shows that New Orleans was able to reduce homelessness by 90% following Hurricane Katrina by implementing similar strategies. These are still many pepole facing homelessness today - nearly three years later. It takes several years to fully recover.
This project will initialize our efforts to eliminate post disaster homelessness, move 50 of the most vulnerable people to self sufficiency and improve the quality of life for Hurricane Michael survivors. As additional housing options are deployed, we will be able to move people from dangerous living situations into stable permanent housing. With the funding to date, we have exceeded the goal 50 people, but there are more and more that we hear of each day. Our new goal is 30 for a total of 80!
