On Common Ground - Summer 2016: Housing For All

Courtesy of Inside Polk

(Middle) REALTORS® from across Florida participated in a food packaging event for Meals of Hope.

Courtesy of USDA, Photo by Lance Cheung

The Legislature passed $4 million in grants supporting homelessness programs around the state.

Joining with other homeless advocates during the 2016 legislative session, Florida REALTORS® helped pass $5.2 million in grants to local organizations working with the homeless. Jaimie Ross, president and CEO of the Florida Housing Coalition, said that appropriation was highly important to homeless advocates as it provided for the first time rent subsidies for homeless persons moving into their own apartments.

“When you consider REALTORS® are about selling homes, their commitment to the issue of homelessness is even more powerful as it’s not in their direct pecuniary interest,” Ross said.

Throughout her year as president of Florida REALTORS®, Meadows took advantage of every opportunity to raise awareness of homelessness. At the association’s annual convention, she had members pack meals that were delivered to thousands of homeless persons.

“One packed meal can feed a family of four, and I believe we packed 50,000 meals within two hours,” she said.

Delivering meals to homeless children is an
ongoing project of a number of local REALTORS®.

“The very next day those meals were being delivered around Central Florida so that was another success.” Delivering meals to homeless children is an ongoing project of a number of local REALTORS® associations working in partnerships with homelessness coalitions. Barbara Barnes, association executive of the Lakeland Association of REALTORS®, said members of her organization work with a nonprofit called kidsPACK to deliver meals to homeless school children.

Every Friday, Barnes said, kidsPACK delivers plain black backpacks to homeless children attending the Polk County schools. Lakeland REALTORS® help stuff those backpacks.

Barnes said the backpacks contain enough food to feed each family over the weekend. The kids receive free breakfasts and lunches on school days. Last year, kidsPACK reported, the program provided meals to 1,345 homeless children attending 66 Polk County schools.