EUSTIS, Fla. – After a lifetime of bouncing from place to place trying to survive, these young adults finally have a place to call home.
This week, the Forward Paths Foundation is moving several at-risk youth who are aging out of foster care, like 19-year-old Gloria Fieldings.
“Wow, it’s the best sleep ever,” said Fieldings.
That’s also true of 21-year-old Dave Bush.
“At the age of 18, I was homeless, and I had nowhere to go,” said Bush.
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The pair is being placed into a couple of the 10 newly constructed tiny homes in Eustis.
Fieldings said she has lived in nearly 20 different places throughout her life. It caused her to struggle with her schoolwork, especially during high school.
“My sophomore year of high school, my grandmother just passed away. I moved in with my (biological) mom, and after we moved in, house burned down. It was like tragedy after tragedy,” said Fieldings.
Now, she can focus on moving forward double majoring in college and supporting her younger siblings.
“It’s kind of touching, and there is a place for kids like us. Somewhere to keep us safe and somewhere to help us grow,” said Fieldings.
“This is Cottages on Grove: ten 600-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bathroom homes with 100-square-foot porch,” said Denise Burry with Forward Paths Foundation.
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, youth who age out of foster care are at a high risk of experiencing homelessness.
To prevent this problem, Burry said the new $1.2 million property will house 20 young adults rent- and utility-free.
“You’re not only helping them housing, but you’re also giving them other resources, as well. The youth that live are expected to go to work and to go to school. We do everything we can provide them with Internet and other resources. We also have other services, we have a financial stability person, that’s working with them to learn the budget,” said Burry.
Burry said there are rules everyone must to follow, like no drugs and -- as of right now -- no visitors.
“We have two more houses on the property right now. When we get done with that renovation, (we) will have 27 people living here,” said Burry.
Burry said they’re hoping to finish their project here within the next year and make plans to open up a similar facility in Leesburg.
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