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National Center Ranks Florida Poorly On Child Homelessness

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By CATHERINE DOLINSKI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 10, 2009

TALLAHASSEE - Too many of Florida's children are homeless or at risk of becoming so, state officials and national advocates said today – and the state's highest populations of homeless youth are in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

The national Center on Family Homelessness released a report today ranking Florida 43rd out of 50 among states for child homelessness, 50th being the worst. The rankings reflect evaluation on the extent of child homelessness in the state as well as risk factors, state policy planning efforts to combat child homelessness and overall "child well-being."

Florida has nearly 50,000 children who are currently homeless, according to the report; of those, almost 21,000 are under age 6. The state ranked 29th among states based on children who are homelessness now, and 37th for its number at risk of having no home.

The state Department of Children and Families responded this morning by highlighting the report in a public statement. "Having even one homeless child in Florida is unacceptable to us," DCF Secretary George Sheldon said. "Children are completely innocent victims of the economic and foreclosure crisis in our country as growing numbers of families lose their homes."

The Tampa Bay area is the center of Florida's child homelessness plight, with 1,700 such children living in Hillsborough and 860 in Pinellas, according to DCF.

Sheldon said the state intends to make the most of the homelessness prevention portion of stimulus dollars that Florida expects to receive from the federal government. "With an estimated $21.5 million coming to [DCF], households on the edge of losing their homes will take priority."

Reporter Catherine Dolinski can be reached at cdolinski@tampatrib.com or (850) 222-8382.

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