TAMPA, FL – U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) announced $4,644,758 in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative (THHI) to expand services and support for youth experiencing homelessness in Hillsborough County. The funding is awarded through HUD’s Youth Homelessness Demonstration initiative to construct housing units, wrap-around services and housing support.

“Florida’s lack of affordable housing is causing mortgages and rents to skyrocket across the state while pricing my neighbors out of the market entirely. As housing costs in Florida have steadily risen, the number of people experiencing homelessness rose for the first time in over a decade in 2022 – and our kids are impacted the most. In fact, people under 18 years of age make up the highest percentage of those experiencing homelessness in Hillsborough, according to THHI.

“It’s important for kids to grow up in safe and nurturing homes. THHI, foster care advocates and other critical community partners are ready to stretch dollars from this significant grant to keep our community’s youth healthy and housed– out of shelters, cars and motels.”

A total of $60.3 million was announced to build systems to end youth homelessness in 16 communities across the United States through HUD’s Youth Homelessness Demonstration initiative. Funding awarded through the initiative supports communities in the development and implementation of a coordinated community approach to preventing and ending youth homelessness.