Octavio Jones
PhotojournalistI’m Octavio Jones, a frequent contributor to WUSF, and native of Washington D.C. I’ve also spent an extensive time of my life in North Carolina.
I am a proud HBCU graduate of Saint Augustine’s College (now Saint Augustine’s University) in Raleigh, North Carolina. I am an independent photojournalist who has worked assignments for several media outlets such as NPR, New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, Buzz Feed, HuffPost, CNN, People, ELLE Decor, The Washington Post, and The Rolling Stone.
Prior to going independent, I’ve worked for the Tampa Bay Times, formerly the St. Petersburg Times, for nearly 10 years. I have a passion for telling the stories of marginalized communities through photographs.
I also have an innate curiosity and drive for human connection that compels me to document the lives of individuals, frequently highlighting the challenges and effects of poverty.
-
Homeowners in Florida are being quietly priced out of their communities. People often own their manufactured homes but rent the lot underneath them. -
They invested over $30K into home renovations. Then they were forced to pay for water used years agoTodd and Mary Cruikshank moved to Riverview from Wisconsin. The new homeowners soon discovered hidden fees tacked on like water used a decade ago. -
Retiree Judy Schofield moved from Connecticut to a home in Haines City. She took on a part-time job to help keep up with her bills due to rising lot rent. -
She bought her home with her parents to enjoy the Florida winter. Now she doesn’t have money to liveMelissa Preen moved to Florida with her parents in 2015. After her parents moved back to Ohio, she stayed to take care of the house. But the cost kept increasing to the point where she started donating plasma twice a week to get money to survive. -
Dara Brown was priced out of the home she owns in Riverview after her lot rent jumped from around $400 to about $1,000 a month. She was evicted in April. -
Demonstrators stood at 12 intersections in St. Petersburg, with more on roads in Sarasota and Wesley Chapel. Hundreds turned out in Lakeland. And a crowd took over the steps of Brooksville City Hall. -
Many in the Manatee County senior resort-style living community had experienced varying degrees of damage from the recent hurricanes, but they came together to reconnect and celebrate their resilience. -
We talked to residents of Aripeka and Hernando Beach who shared their experiences after Helene ripped through their communities and destroyed their homes. -
Despite persistent drizzle, thousands gathered for the Tampa Bay Collard Green Festival. -
The changes could "repurpose" 12 schools, meaning students would need to shift to other facilities.
