TAMPA, Fla. — The National League of Cities summit is wrapping up in Tampa this weekend.

The leading conference for local elected leaders touched on an issue that has impacted communities across the country — homelessness.

What You Need To Know

  • 'Tampa Hope’ homeless shelter  was one of the stops on a Tampa bus tour for the National League of Cities summit

  • The shelter’s ‘Hope Cottages’ are tiny homes that have helped reduce housing costs. For example, it costs just under $26 a night to shelter one person

  • More than 650,000 Americans were homeless in 2023, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. New York ranked the highest, with around 88,000 people

Maggie Rogers is the Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Petersburg. Its shelter, ‘Tampa Hope,’ was one of the stops on a bus tour for the summit.

“I’m hoping they learn a little bit about our program — how we address homelessness and reach hundreds every night and hopefully take it back to their communities,” said Rogers.

The shelter’s ‘Hope Cottages’ are tiny homes that have helped reduce housing costs. For example, it costs just under $26 a night to shelter one person. Another addition to the shelter is the OnMed Care Station, which hopes to reduce the number of 911 calls from the homeless.

“We would fog the glass,” said a virtual attendant about ensuring the hub is private.

It allows patients to visit with a doctor virtually and free of charge.

More than 650,000 Americans were homeless in 2023, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. New York ranked the highest, with around 88,000 people.

Rochester, N.Y. City Council members Lashay Harris and Miguel Melendez are here to look for solutions.

“Today has been very innovative, and I am getting ideas from Tampa and networking,” said Lashay Harris.

They were impressed with what they saw.

“It’s good to see a model that is open air and in the public and really thinks about the holistic approach to having health services, mental services, and food all in one location,” said Melendez.

As they head back to Upstate New York, both said they feel equipped with the tools to develop their own unique program to fight homelessness, using Tampa as a guide.