Pasco shelter told to kick out residents | News

Zephyrhills, Fla. - This kind of Florida weather has many people pulling out jackets and sweaters. Some will even turn up the heat for the first time in months. But for some people, the only clothes they have are the ones on their backs.

They have no furnace or even a bed to sleep in for the night. They depend on the kindness of strangers.

Roughly 40 residents at a shelter located in the Chancey Road Christian Church in Zephyrhills will soon be homeless, and while the cold may not mean much to most people, it means everything to them.

They need a place to sleep and live.

Their stories vary. Some are single mothers. Others are two-parent families who have fallen on hard times. 

"When I got here, there were no families. We were the first family," says Tiffany Armstrong.

Armstrong and her family are casualties of a collapsing economy. They rely on the roof over their heads at the Zephyrhills church, where they've been for more than two months.

Holding her child tightly, Armstrong speaks in a frank way. "You could just see with the economy the way it was, it was gonna be more families, and that's exactly what happened. We got more families, more children."

The place they call home is being told to kick them out, along with many others. The question is: Why?

Pasco County claims it's a zoning issue. But is this just a case of a nosy neighbor crying foul? Shelter residents claim it is. They say that a few surrounding neighbors have made unwarranted claims about the people who live in the shelter.

Those who live there say the shelter is very strict. They're drug tested, they have curfews, and someone is with them at all times. They leave at 8 a.m. and return at 5:30 p.m.

No one is allowed to roam the surrounding property. The only residents allowed to stay during the day are those who volunteer.

So, why is the church is being told to clean house during the holidays? Some say it's an irate neighbor who filed a complaint with the county, claiming that ordinances were being violated.

"We're not drug addicts. We're not alcoholics. I know that so many people have been burned by bad experiences or they've seen things. Please don't make an atypical judgement," says Armstrong.

This is not the life they wanted.

Tiffany never thought that her family would be in this situation. Her husband is an out-of-work police officer. She lost her job. They have five children here and want to keep the family together.

But, that is often impossible. If they go to another Pasco shelter, that will most likely not happen. Also, some residents say that other shelters have negative influences, such as drug abuse and residents who are in trouble with the law.

One woman said, "We don't want our children there. At least this place has rules."

Pastor Tim Mitchell says the shelter began in 2010 and that they've followed all rules. In fact, they began with a few single mothers and within a year grew to 40 residents.

"Tonight has taken me by surprise. It really has," he told 10 News. "We are the only shelter on this side of the county."

"We are supposed to feed the hungry and help the poor," he added.

He says he's heartbroken to tell those in need that Friday morning his residents will now have nowhere to eat, sleep, or live as the new year begins this weekend.

Pastor Mitchell also told us that they've been working with code enforcement and attorneys for weeks. His ultimate hope is that the county will issue an emergency stay so that his residents are not forced out on the street.