As prices rise, the math of living just isn’t adding up for many Florida families. Now comes word of a connection between housing costs and foster children being kept from their parents.
Also on the show: how the November vote on property taxes cuts could affect renters, an update from a local woman in Venezuela during last month’s earthquakes, and a USF football player talks about his project to help Nigerian villages.
Priced out of reunification
(0:00) When parents lose custody of their children, getting them back often depends on more than parenting. A Pinellas County guardian ad litem says soaring housing costs can keep children in foster care even after parents are ready to reunite. How did finances become such a major hurdle and what could change? What can policymakers do to help keep families together?
GUEST:
- Nick Weston, guardian ad litem for Pinellas County
Helping Venezuela
(12:00) Recovery continues after powerful quakes killed thousands last month. A Tampa Bay Latin Chamber leader survived the disaster and remains in Venezuela assisting with relief efforts. She shares what she witnessed and explains how Floridians can help those affected.
GUEST:
- Samantha Brown Perez, vice president of the Tampa Bay Latin Chamber
Property taxes and renters
(21:00) Florida voters will soon decide whether to cut property taxes. We’ve heard the debate of homeowner savings vs. local government shortfalls. But there’s another potential ripple in the housing market. A real estate economist explains how renters and landlords will be affected if the amendment passes.
GUEST:
- Ken Johnson, University of Mississippi chair of real estate, founder of Florida Atlantic University’s Real Estate Initiative
Channeling NIL to help others
(36:00) Most athletes use their NIL money to buy things for themselves. USF receiver Mudia Reuben launched a nonprofit that is building clear-water wells in underserved villages of Nigeria, where his parents are from. Reuben discusses why he chose USF for grad school after earning a degree at Stanford and how he decided to make an impact outside of football.
GUEST:
- Mudia Reuben, USF graduate student and football player
