TAMPA, Fla. — About a dozen adults with special needs are still wondering where they’re going to live after Hurricane Milton badly damaged two group homes; some have lost nearly everything they have.
Thursday was the first time since the storm that Alexander Murray has been back to his bedroom.
“I was like, ‘dang, man, my clothes are gone, my shoes [are] all messed up,’” he said. “I thought like where I was going to live at now and all that.”
Six adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities live in the home in east Tampa but the storm folded the roof back and rain collapsed the ceiling.
The same thing happened to another group home in Dover where Laron Williams lives.
“I'm really concerned because I lost my room, my clothes, my tv. The roof is gone,” he said.
The homes are run by Specially Fit Foundation. CEO Mark Oliver took the men to an Airbnb in Davenport for a week, but it’s too expensive to stay. He found a hotel cheaper and closer to Tampa for the night, but he's on the hunt for something more long-term as the home is repaired.
“We were fortunate to [evacuate] and get everybody out,” Oliver said. “I’m really trying to figure out what our next step is. What are we going to do? Because everyone in this house wants to continue living together. This is their house. This is their home. This is their everything.”
For adults living with special needs, routine is important. But as they’ve adjusted to their new normal, they’re staying positive in the face of adversity.
“It's bad, but there's a lot of people out there that, you know, have the same thing,” said resident Anthony Christian. “I think as the months and years go by, things will get better.”
These kinds of group homes are coveted by adults with special needs and their families. You have to have a Medicaid waiver to pay for the services. There are thousands of people on the waitlist in Florida, and it takes years to get one.
“We’re surviving,” Williams said. “Thank God we’re surviving. It could have been worse than what it is. I just thank God that we still made it through."