A look at how and why we reported on homeless families in Tallahassee

Ana Goñi-Lessan and Christopher Cann, Tallahassee Democrat
·4 min read

At school board meetings, sometimes an agenda item is just that: an item the board passes without much discussion.

Approval of personnel items, construction and budget amendments get motioned and seconded unanimously as the board coasts through the agenda.

During an August meeting, however, Rocky Hanna’s Superintendent Spotlight gave the school board pause and revealed a growing concern in Leon County.

Hanna praised the district’s transportation director and staff for helping a young student whose homelessness led a bus driver, administrators and law enforcement on a search for her mother. Eventually she was found across the street from the HOPE Community homeless shelter, but the situation shed light on a more critical issue.

That student was one of hundreds of children in Leon County Schools whose families are experiencing homelessness, the result of a nationwide problem – a shortage of well-paying jobs and affordable housing.

A 5-PART SERIES

Homelessness is a chronic issue in the community, but an overwhelmed school district and local nonprofits told us too many people need help.

We went to extended stay motels to speak with families, some with three, four and five children, living in cramped rooms. Over several afternoons, we waited for the school buses to drop off children so we could talk to their parents, who confirmed what other interviews revealed.

 

Michael Hightower, who runs the Families in Transition program for the district, told us he has never before dealt with more homeless children so quickly in a semester. HOPE said they had the longest waitlist ever of families seeking shelter. The Emergency Care Help Organization (ECHO) told us the agency has been out of money for rapid rehousing for months. When they do get funds to disperse, the waitlist is thousands of families long.

Our mission emerged: report the plight of Tallahassee’s homeless families – a sliver of the local population suffering from a housing crisis and rapid inflation.

They were looking for work, but none of their jobs paid enough for rent. They called 211 Big Bend to be connected to resources, but no one had money to help.

These families live in hotels all across the city. The manager of the Suburban Extended Stay Motel on Silver Slipper Lane told us he’s never seen so many families struggling.

Meanwhile, local officials continued to publicly tout initiatives to curb homelessness and the housing crisis while campaigning for the primary and general elections. So we fact-checked their speeches at ribbon cutting events and town halls and compared their initiatives with other Florida cities like Gainesville and Jacksonville.

What we found is that while Tallahassee is making an effort to help its poorest residents, it’s not enough.

As the broader political and policy implications of the story became apparent, we still needed to find the project’s main subject.

After six weeks of searching, one family agreed to let us follow them around for what we wanted to be the centerpiece – a day in the life of a family battling homelessness in Florida’s capital city.

We shadowed Danica Hively, Austin Owens and their four children for days. Alicia Devine Wallace photographed every moment, whether it was hopeful laughter or silent frustration, to responsibly portray this resilient family.

Days before this project was set to publish, Danica said her family was being evicted from the hotel for an overdue bill of approximately $800. With just $16 in her bank account, Danica and Austin, who will soon start a job as a security guard at the hotel, pleaded with the front desk manager. Could they come up with a payment plan? Could they just have a little more time?

The manager said no. Danica, with tears in her eyes, walked back to the hotel room, exhausted.

When we left her that morning, she continued to clean and pack up their things in black trash bags to shove in the RV with expired tags, water damage and mold, sitting in the parking lot — their last resort.

This is a series of stories intended to spotlight and challenge the motto we’ve all heard.

Tallahassee is a great place to raise a family.

But not for everyone.

 

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: How and why the Democrat reported on homeless families in Tallahassee