Story
The mother was able to secure a residence in Plant City close to her employer at that time. Her budget at the time indicated that she would be able to afford rent and expenses. However, in the wake of the back-to-back hurricanes in the Fall 2024, the mother was laid off. She was able to find stable employment in Tampa and reunified with her children in March 2025. However, her current income is insufficient to meet the needs to maintain the residence (which the landlord refuses to make repairs to) and cover the costs of transportation to her place of employment. The mother and the case manager have reached out to multiple community resources (Metropolitan Ministries, Catholic Charities, City of Plant City, etc.) but have been told that financial assistance is not available due to it being the end of the fiscal year. A FUP referral to Tampa Housing Authority has been made, but a decision has not yet been made. The mother worked hard to regain custody of her children but has been struggling especially since she does not receive child support from the father of the children.