Leo the homeless man – part 3

Join the Facebook Group “Leo the homeless man” (www.facebook.com to see photos, videos, and a blog report during Leo’s 3 days/nights as a homeless man begining THIS Thursday, July 9. FACTS ABOUT HOMELESSNESS… *Each year 2.3 to 3.5 million people will experience homelessness in America In the Tampa Bay area, there are… More than 20000 homeless people 9532 homeless people in Hillsborough County 5195 homeless people in Pinellas County 2300 homeless people in Polk County 2859 homeless people in Pasco County The 2007 Hillsborough County Homeless Coalition Homeless Census Survey reports that there are at least 9532 homeless people in Hillsborough County… 16% are children (a 48% increase in 2 years) 47% are Caucasian 32% are African-American 18% are Veterans 37% work full-time 23% have drug and alcohol addictions 18% suffer from mental illness 28% have a physical disability 56% have some type of income Did you know… That one of the fastest growing segments of the homeless population is families with children. That approximately 3.5 million people, 1.35 million of them children, are likely to experience homelessness in any given year. That most shelters, in the Tampa Bay area and nationally, do not accept homeless families with teenage boys and often require the father to separate from the family. The most unsuspecting and innocent victims of poverty and homelessness are children. Nearly 200 homeless children resided with their families at Metropolitan Ministries last …