IONA, Fla. — Over a dozen Iona residents are facing homelessness tomorrow as the state-funded Unite Florida program ends, and officials arrive to reclaim their temporary trailers.
Wednesday, the state will take back these trailers, leaving the residents scrambling to find alternative housing.
Watch how the neighbors prepare for the evictions:
"I just want a home... I just want a home," says Richard Gattica, a Unite Florida recipient. Gattica, his husband, and their two dogs spent the day moving their belongings into a storage unit. "Right now, we don't even know what we're doing tomorrow after we leave. We've exhausted our savings; it's crazy."
For Gattica and his family, the only option now is to live out of their car. "I have two dogs that are going to be in the vehicle. They're tiny dogs, but... I don't know, I really don't know," he expressed.
Efforts to reach Governor DeSantis's office led to a response from the Florida Department of Emergency Management, which stated that over 200 trailers have been donated to non-profits and households. However, none of these trailers will be going to the people at Iona Ranch.
Ashley Wehrlen, another Unite Florida recipient, shared her distress, "I didn't want to wake up today and have to deal with reality, honestly. The fact that I'm going to be homeless and not know where I'm going."
Finding a shelter that isn't full and that allows pets has been a significant challenge for Wehrlen.
"I feel like I'm a ping pong ball, being bounced back and forth between assistance programs. They just point you one way and say they don't have any resources," Wehrlen added.
According to St. Matthew's House, as of March, 165 families in the county were living in their cars. However, St. Matthew's House plans to open a new women and children's shelter later this summer.
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Hurricane Ian survivors prepare to get evicted as Unite Florida program nears its end
