More people who are either homeless, or on the verge of homelessness, can receive rental assistance from the City of Tampa.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Rapid Unsheltered Survivor Housing (RUSH) program was created to address and prevent homelessness as a result of disasters. RUSH goes beyond temporary, short-term assistance to ensure impacted individuals and families continue to receive assistance until they have reached more stability. The City of Tampa is a recipient of RUSH funding due to the local area impact of Hurricane Ian, which created a surge in shelter needs and high level of displacement to persons experiencing homelessness prior to the hurricane.
A total of $800,000 has been allocated to the City of Tampa to help qualifying individuals pay their monthly rent bills for up to 24 months.
“Federal funding plays a critical role in our efforts to tackle the affordable housing crisis,” said Mayor Jane Castor. “City government is financially limited, making state and federal dollars incredibly important to fuel this ongoing battle.”
The City of Tampa’s Housing and Community Development division administers state and federal funding for housing programs.
At Thursday’s Tampa City Council meeting, council members welcomed the funding and gave city staff the green light to begin distributing it to qualifying recipients.
