While shelters and work programs play a big role in combatting homelessness, technology and apps could be the key to fighting the problem, according to the Tampa Innovation Alliance.
The group will host the “Gimme Shelter” hackathon June 3 – 5 for volunteer coders to work on as many as 10 projects, including apps to address panhandling, help landlords take advantage of voucher programs and for point-in-time homeless count surveys.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for Tampa Innovation Alliance to help bring together this community’s top technologists to address one of the region’s most pressing problems – homelessness,” Tampa Innovation Alliance CEO Mark Sharpe said. “There are so many ways we can approach social issues with technological applications.”
The event will be held at Crossover Church, 1235 E. Fowler Ave. in Tampa and is part of the National Civic Day of Hacking, a civic tech event where developers and designers partner across industry lines to leverage their skills in service of the community.
IT infrastructure company Peak 10 will serve as the presenting sponsor of the event, with SunTrust Banks, Redhat, Bloomin’ Brands, Tampa Bay Food Truck Rally, Code for Tampa Bay, Crossover Church and the Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative also pitching in.
Those interested in participating or supporting “Gimme Shelter” can contact Kelley Sims at 813-833-1894. Registration is also available online at the Tampa Innovation Alliance website.
