TAMPA, Florida. – As more people move to Florida, real estate prices are rising and people are being priced out of the Sunshine State. It’s especially hard on seniors who feel like their retirement dreams are on hold.
“I decided to retire on my 70th birthday in April, and to do that I had to give up my own apartment because I couldn’t afford to live alone,” said Robin Delucia, a retiree from the Tampa Bay area. “There is no pension anymore in Florida. No one can live on welfare practically anywhere.”
Delucia worked two jobs until she was 70 and still can’t afford to live alone in the Tampa Bay area. She recently moved in with her daughter, but she says that’s not her tropical retirement dream — and she’s not alone.
READ: Former St. Petersburg hospital to be converted into affordable housing for seniors
“I’ve met seniors who all say the same thing: ‘I have to move in with my kids. I can’t afford to live here anymore. I don’t know what to do,'” Delucia said.
She developed a plan and started a Facebook page.
“On my new Facebook page, Seniors Helping Seniors 62 and Over, I hope to bring together people who have a home but are at risk of losing it, who need more income, and people without a home. I try to help them – myself included – find a place to live permanently for the rest of their lives.”
She hopes to build a community where people in their golden years can find roommates, reduce financial burdens and enjoy time together.
“They’re used to having someone there all the time. Some of them have been married for 40, 50 years, so it would help everyone to have some company together and also to help out financially,” Delucia said. “I hope that their final years and those of our seniors will be happy and relaxed and not stressed and wondering where we’re going next. I’m in that boat right now and I need to get it right. I don’t want to live the rest of my life like that. I want to be happy and enjoy what’s out there.”
WATCH FOX 13 NEWS:
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
