Seventy-five year old Elaine Brown* is afraid to unpack. She’s moved four times in the past two years. The first time, the duplex where she lived in Stuart was sold. The second time, a tornado spawned by Hurricane Milton blew the roof off the Fort Pierce building where she had lived for eight months. After...

Thirty-eight-year-old Janie Desir is one of those people who says, “You can sleep when you’re dead.” As the home-schooling mother of a five-year-old autistic son, she comes by her sleep deprivation honestly.    Every Monday her day begins at 3:30 a.m. She’s out of the house with her son by 5:30. They need to make it to Orlando by 7:30 for the first of his three therapy...

A headline in the Indian River Press Journal reads, “Affordable Housing Hits Record Low.” An editorial notes, “Indian River County is not the only Florida location where home prices are not affordable to the average wage owner.” To anyone paying even a little bit of attention, there’s nothing surprising here. What might surprise you is...

Slumlord is an ugly term for landlords who prioritize maximizing profits over maintaining habitable properties. Such people charge excessive rent for substandard living conditions and rely on intimidation to prey on vulnerable individuals who fear retaliation. It’s not a term you’ll find in the marketing materials for the quaint beachside paradise so many of us...

No one likes talking about evictions. If you’re a renter struggling to pay the rent, an eviction draws an indelible line between being housed and unhoused. If you’re a landlord, it’s an unpleasant but necessary part of doing business. For the sheriff’s deputies tasked with removing people from their homes, it can be one of...

In Indian River County, many streams—the high cost of rent, the scarcity of affordable housing, and the growing numbers of people living in poverty amidst plenty—have converged into a relentless river sweeping too many individuals and families into homelessness. Even with shelters like The Hope for Families Center managing to double in size to house...

Treasure Coast Food Bank is the only food bank and largest hunger relief organization on Florida’s Treasure Coast, providing the community each year with millions of meals valued at more than $50 million through robust programs and in partnership with 300 charitable organizations in Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, and Okeechobee counties. One year ago,...

Last year in Indian River County, there were just over 500 children in foster care and the rate of child abuse was 446.1 per 100,000 children. Safe Families for Children helps to prevent these adverse outcomes by hosting vulnerable children and creating extended family-like supports for families through a community of devoted volunteers who are...

In Indian River County, veterans comprise approximately 11.2% of the population, which is higher than the state average of 8.2%. The Veterans Council of Indian River County works to support veterans and their families while raising awareness of veteran needs and their contributions to society. The organization works with the goal to create a community...

In 2021, the rate per 100,000 of children in foster care in Indian River County was 598.3 compared to Florida at 590.4. Voices for Children of Okeechobee and the Treasure Coast is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 2013 to raise funds in support of the efforts and activities of the Florida state-funded Guardian ad Litem Program of Florida’s 19th Judicial Circuit...