HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A’diva Slade knows what it's like to live on the streets.
“When COVID started, I was staying in my car for six months. So it was very, very hard. Right now, it’s better. It’s getting better day by day,” said Slade.
She can’t say the same for her teenage siblings.
“It kind of hurts because I can’t do everything by myself. They can’t come to stay with me physically because I’m going through bills and everything with myself. So, trying to keep my head above water and also guide them in the right way,” said Slade.
But there is now a way that A’diva can help her brother and sister and many others.
She is a part of the Youth Action Board.
It’s made up of young people who have struggled with homelessness themselves and can share their real-world experiences.
They will be heavily involved in deciding where the Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative will spend $4.6 million in federal money.
The money is part of a $60 million program from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to help youth homelessness nationwide.
“There is rapid rehousing programs. There are permanent supporting housing programs. Street outreach. Emergency shelter. And this grant actually allows us to do a lot more flexible. With the youth, such as hotels, because there are not enough shelter beds,” said Lesa Weikel, Senior Contract Manager with Tampa Hillsborough Initiative.
The Florida Council on Homelessness found more than a 50% jump in those living without shelter in Hillsborough County last year.
Many of those are families and children.
