News & Public Affairs

Hillsborough continues talk of countywide panhandling ban listen

11/10/10 Kate Bradshaw
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Tags: Homelessness, Hillsborough County, Tampa, Panhandling

With no relief for rampant unemployment and underemployment in the Tampa Bay area, many jobless and working poor take to curbsides and medians in the hope that enough passersby will spare a dollar or two. Many see it as a hazard, which is why Hillsborough County is considering revamping a countywide ban on the practice. Today Tampa and county officials held its second workshop to kick around possible ways of curbing the practice.

Assistant Tampa Police Chief John Bennett says a recent ag...

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Homeless advocates critical of proposed shelter listen

11/08/10 Kate Bradshaw
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Tags: Homelessness, St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Bruce Wright

Pinellas County, especially St. Petersburg, isn’t known for taking extra humanitarian measures when it comes to the area’s large homeless population. A new shelter city and county officials are proposing may dispel – or reinforce – St. Pete’s anti-homeless reputation.

Officials in Pinellas County’s Homeless Leadership Network are calling the facility a courtyard. It would provide beds, showers, bathrooms, a host of services, and food – though they’re not yet sure whether the meals would be...

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Florida's homeless hate crimes law goes into effect Friday listen

09/30/10 Seán Kinane
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Tags: hate crimes, homelessness, homeless

On Friday, prejudice-motivated assaults against people without homes become hate crimes in Florida. Earlier this week we brought you the first half of our interview with Neil Donovan, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless. Their report, “Hate Crimes Against The Homeless: America’s Growing Tide of Violence,” finds tha...

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Hate crimes against homeless on rise, especially in Florida listen

09/27/10 Seán Kinane
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Tags: hate crimes, homelessness, homeless

A study from the National Coalition for the Homeless says that hate crimes against homeless people is on the rise. Their 11th annual report, Hate Crimes Against The Homeless: America’s Growing Tide of Violence, ranks Florida among the worst states for these hate crimes. Neil Donovan is their executive director.

Tune in tomorrow to [hear their specific findings about Florida](...

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St. Pete to enforce street sleeping ban listen

07/23/10 Kate Bradshaw
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Tags: Homelessness, Pinellas County Schools, St. Petersburg, Bill Foster, Bruce Wright, Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign

St. Petersburg is about to start enforcing an ordinance that makes it illegal to sleep in the streets if there are free beds in local homeless shelters. Not complying could mean a night in jail. Homeless advocates like Bruce Wright of the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign are crying foul.

"I find it reprehensible and criminal that Mayor Foster, any of the counsel that would support him, and any law enforcement that would act upon it. To do such a thing."

Speaking at a rally ...

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Homeless population dismayed as food sharing restrictions continue listen

07/01/10 Joshua Lee Holton
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Tags: Homelessness, food not bombs

The slumping economy has cost many people their jobs, and some their homes. As the rising homeless population remains a major concern, a report released today says many cities across the U.S. are blocking those who want to help feed those in need.

The report authored by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty shows that nearly two dozen communities nationwide have created ordinances and policies that put restrictions on food sharing. They cited seven cities in Florida – incl...

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Changing the face of homelessness

03/11/10 Robert Lorei
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Tags: Homelessness, Hillsborough County School Board, Unexpected Faces Unexpected Places

Good afternoon, welcome to Radioactivity. I'm Robert Lorei. Coming up we'll hear about efforts to change the stereotype of who is homeless and we'll also hear from a physician who is part of a group that would like to outlaw nuclear weapons. But first, some listener comments about yesterday's interview with Pinellas County Commissioner Susan Latvala about proposed budget cuts in Pinellas County.

The Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County has started a campaign to change the perception o...

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At Tiger Bay Bill Foster addresses chase policy, BayWalk, budget listen

02/23/10 Seán Kinane
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Tags: St. Petersburg, Bill Foster, Tiger Bay Club, Homelessness, police, budget, Baywalk

Last week, the St. Petersburg city administration and police department suggested loosening the city’s police chase policy. A new policy would allow police vehicles to pursue some fleeing car thieves and burglars. It was the first subject residents wanted to hear about at Tuesday’s Suncoast Tiger Bay Club meeting featuring St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster.

*The slight modificati...

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Honors students bring sex, gender and race to the Globe listen

12/11/09 Rob Piccirillo
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Tags: Homelessness, violence against sex workers

Last night, a group of USF St. Petersburg honors students held a free community event at the Globe Coffee Lounge in downtown St. Petersburg. The purpose was to discuss how language oppresses people of different races, genders and sexualities.

Homelessness, violence against sex workers, discrimination against men in family court – those were just a few of the topics students chose to discuss for their final course projects. Professor Jill McKracken let her students name the course and the...

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Metropolitan Ministries Sees Significant Drop in Donations listen

11/25/09 Kate Bradshaw
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Tags: Metropolitan Ministries, Homelessness, volunteer, Thanksgiving, Christmas, poverty, nonprofit, Tampa nonprofit, homeless, Homeless Hillsborough County

Each Thanksgiving, Metropolitan Ministries distributes Thanksgiving food packages to thousands of Tampa Bay residents in need. This year, amid the throes of the worst financial crisis in recent history, they’re seeing more dire need than ever exacerbated by a major drop in donations.

As volunteers sort through boxes of spaghetti, stuffing and Jell-O, the line outside the Metropolitan Ministries food distribution center on Florida Avenue is strikingly long. People wait for what the nonprofi...

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