CLEARWATER, Fla. — A coalition of Pinellas-based nonprofit groups and religious organizations is stepping up their efforts to fight homelessness in Clearwater, pooling their resources to help homeless individuals get off the streets and into affordable housing.
- "Going Home Coalition" aims at reducing homelessness, not just managing it
- Phase 1, Tieman Village, completed in early 2019
- Phase 2 expected to open by end of June
- More information at goinghomeclearwater.org
When asked to describe life five months ago, Janet Hetherington sums it up in one word.
“Hell," she called it. "It was like I was a bird, free. I lived here, I lived there."
She spent years on the streets after breaking off a previous relationship, fighting for a place to sleep, shower, and get her hands on the next meal.
“You better make sure it’s in plastic bags and plastic bags, or else you’re going to get little critters in that bag,” said Hetherington.
But fast forward to today and she will tell you that her life has changed.
“I’ve got a bathroom," she said. "I’ve got a bath, a toilet. I no longer have to go behind a bush."
She is one of 11 previously homeless people currently living in newly renovated apartments in the heart of the Lake Bellevue neighborhood in Clearwater.
It’s all thanks to a group of local nonprofits called the "Going Home Coalition," all of whom have been assisting the homeless for years.
The difference is that now they are partnering to take their efforts a step further.
“We realized as a group that what we have been doing is facilitating the homeless, but not reducing it," said Ed Thiebe, executive director of the Community Service Group, one of the nonprofits in the Coalition. "And the key to reducing homelessness is putting them in housing.”
Phase one of these apartments, known as Tieman Village, was complete in the beginning of the year. Phase two is currently underway, which will get another eight people off the streets.
Residents pay a small amount of money for rent, and Thiebe says he hopes this will give them a second chance at life.
“We hope that it stabilizes their lives, and that it gives them a sense of security and safety,” said Thiebe.
Hetherington says she’s already there.
“I’m not going anywhere but up. I’m not going back out there,” said Hetherington.
Phase two is set to be complete by the end of the month.
For more information on how you can donate or volunteer, visit goinghomeclearwater.org.