Our Family Homeless Prevention program aims to prevent and reduce homelessness in our community for families struggling to keep a roof over their heads. Launched in 2021, the program helps families maintain housing by negotiating with property managers, assisting them in securing immediate alternative housing, and connecting them to services and financial assistance to either return to or access safe, affordable, permanent housing.

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Hillsborough County is currently facing a housing crisis. As the fastest-growing county in Florida and the second-largest housing market in the country, rental rates and home prices are rising exponentially, alongside increases in utility and food costs. Vulnerable families, who were already living on the edge, are now being forced out of their homes as rent increases by over 50%. Many of these families are facing homelessness for the first time.

Emergency Bridge Housing provides safe and secure homes to families with minor children, who are literally homeless.  It is short-term and offers a path for families to actively engage in ending their homelessness.

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We use a Housing First approach guided by the belief that housing is the foundation for life improvement and that this most basic necessity needs to be met before families can attend to other concerns.  This approach does not have barriers to entry and once the family is permanently housed, they are engaged in supportive services to assist them with problems affecting family well-being and to ensure that permanent housing is achieved.  Families are considered permanently housed when they move into a rental unit with a lease in their name, or when they achieve home ownership.

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Dawning Family Services proudly serves all modern families with minor children including single mothers, single fathers, couples, multi-generational, and LGBTQ+ parents as well as pregnant women.  

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​Last year 292 people were served in our Emergency Bridge Housing.

Our Rapid Re-Housing program helps families move from Emergency Bridge Housing to stable permanent housing as quickly as possible.  It is difficult for the families we serve to pay bills and save enough money for first month's rent, security deposit, and other moving fees.  This program helps families with those needs, so that they can achieve permanent housing quickly.

 

Our Housing First approach emphasizes that stable housing can work as a platform which allows families to begin achieving personal goals, improving their quality of life, and avoid returning to homelessness.

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​Last year 96 families (428 individuals) received our Housing Services.

The Work For Success Program started in 2021. Our Employment Specialist assists families with job searches, improving soft skills, job placement and one-on-one counseling and workshops in job readiness skills.  The Dawning Family Services team also partners with local employers to develop career pipelines for families.  

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​Our Work For Success Program is open to all parents in need, regardless of participation in other Dawning Family Services programs.

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​Last year all families served through the Work For Success Program received job seeking skills and 79% found and maintained employment through the program.