Tiny Cottages To Replace Tents To Shelter Tampa's Homeless Population

TAMPA, FL — They may be tiny, but the city of Tampa is hoping they'll make a big impact on Tampa's homeless population.

City of Tampa officials and representatives of the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg celebrated the completion of 100 freestanding structures, known as Hope Cottages, for Tampa's homeless encampment known as Tampa Hope.

Over the past week, crews have been assembling the new living spaces, which will expand Tampa Hope's capacity and provide a unique shelter option for the homeless while they receive services to help them get back on their feet.

In March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the city of Tampa partnered with Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Petersburg to create Tampa Hope at 3704 E 3rd Ave. in East Tampa to house the city's most vulnerable residents by setting up a camp of temporary tents.

During the temporary shelter's 65 days in operation, it served 210 homeless men and women and placed 76 homeless into permanent housing. Meanwhile, not a single resident tested positive for COVID-19.

The experience only underscored the need for a permanent shelter where homeless residents could shelter in place and receive aid, said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.

So, in partnership with Catholic Charities, the city launched Tampa Hope in December 2021 with an initial 100 tents, adding 25 more later.

Now, with the addition of the cottages, Tampa Hope can provide 225 beds to homeless residents.

Catholic Charities is currently raising funds to replace all the tents at Tampa Hope with Hope Cottages.

"All parties have recognized the need to provide this important service to the homeless of Tampa and, while unfortunate, the coronavirus crisis has proven to be the catalyst to make it happen,” said Maggie Rogers, Catholic Charities’ executive director. “We are grateful to the city of Tampa for their faith in our ability to replicate our work serving the homeless of Pinellas County.”

"Tampa Hope is making a real difference helping people get back on their feet, and these cottages are a very welcome addition," said Castor. "Our partnership with Catholic Charities reflects our commitment to addressing homelessness in a holistic way, and we believe the addition of the Hope Cottages will be vital in further uplifting this vulnerable population."

Related: Homeless Residents Find Hope During Holidays At Tampa Shelter

The 64-square-foot cottages will provide a bed, air conditioning and heating system, smoke detector, fire extinguisher, power outlets, shelving, windows and storage space. Additionally, the cottages can resist up to Category 5 hurricane-force winds.

Eventually, the site will include a welcome lobby and services building featuring bathrooms, showers, a dining room, a laundry, kitchen and clothes closet.

It's a $7.4 million investment that eventually will provide temporary homes for 300 of Tampa's homeless residents.

"We are pleased with the progress made to date by the staff of Tampa Hope and their city of Tampa counterparts in moving homeless men and women to permanent housing," said Bishop Gregory Parkes of the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg. "We know there is much work to be done and look forward to meeting that challenge head on."

Of the 100 cottages, 75 were funded by the city of Tampa. Each cottage costs about $10,000.

Installation of the electrical system and power station for the cottages and other future facilities at the site are expected to be completed this fall.

"Tampa Hope has had an impact in helping address homelessness in the city of Tampa, and with continued hard work and our partnership with the city, we look forward to placing hundreds more individuals into their own homes," said Maggie Rogers, executive director of Catholic Charities.

Since its launch in 2021, Tampa Hope has provided shelter to more than 640 people.

• 30 percent have been discharged to permanent housing.
• 11 percent have gained employment during their stay.
• 70 percent are males.
• 87 days is the average length of stay.

On any given night in the greater Tampa Bay area, there are several thousand homeless men, women and children sleeping on the streets, behind buildings, in encampments, in cars, in emergency shelters and in transitional housing, according to the Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative.

As of the end of 2022, the homeless initiative said there were 3,387 homeless people in Hillsborough County.

“I am so proud and grateful to be working with Catholic Charities on this compassionate and innovative program to help people along the path to self-sufficiency,” Castor said. “I believe firmly that this city’s success depends on improving the quality of life for every Tampa resident no matter their current economic status. Tampa Hope will improve and save lives.”

"Tampa Hope is a great starting point in helping rebuild lives,” said Rogers. “This is a place where you can stay off the streets and find safety and a true support network to lift you up when you need it most.”

Community members who want to join the effort by visiting the website or texting "tampahope" to 91999.