Homelessness

Emergency housing for 426 Lakeland families displaced by Hurricane Milton will end on April 9.

They'll open Thursday as temperatures in the area are expected to drop into the low to mid-40s early Friday, with cool conditions expected into the weekend.

These are some of the details from the annual Point-in-Time Count of those experiencing homelessness. About 280 volunteers walked St. Petersburg's streets to gather the information.

Experts say the fear of arrest may cause unhoused people to refrain from giving out the information necessary to collect an accurate count.

Tampa Hope is the first homeless facility to receive an OnMed CareStation, an 8-by-11-foot pod quipped with thermal imaging, medical devices to take vitals and a camera to speak with teleheath providers.

Hillsborough County's homeless and community services director said that's putting a strain on volunteers who are coming back every night while managing their own lives.

About 40 housing providers set up shop at the Coliseum in downtown St. Petersburg to attend the hurricane recovery rental housing fair. The city partnered with the Bay Area Apartment Association to host the public event on Jan. 22.

Dozens of families are uncertain where they will sleep tonight after fire marshal shutters Imperial Swan Hotel & Suites in Lakeland.

Police will continue making arrests under a city ordinance prohibiting camping or sleeping on public property.

This new year, Florida residents, business owners, and Attorney General can bring civil action against local governments that fail to comply with the new state mandate.

"The Florida Roundup" talked with reporters from across the state on topics including the hurricanes and how South Florida turning red affected the 2024 elections.

During hard times his senior year, Mike Steele secretly lived at his high school. Hernando High was “the best thing that ever happened to me.” Thirty years later, he’s still giving back.