Nebraska Avenue stands at the heart of Tampa’s community life — a corridor where residents, business owners, service providers, neighborhood associations, unhoused neighbors, first responders, faith-based organizations and community partners come together every day.
Nebraska Avenue is a place of commerce, connection, and care: like any shared space, it thrives when everyone who walks these streets shares a common understanding of respect, safety, and compassion.
To strengthen that shared understanding, a group of community partners has developed the Nebraska Avenue Community Code of Ethics and Conduct — a collaborative framework built on dignity, accountability, and mutual respect. This effort brings together housed and unhoused neighbors, faith communities, outreach teams, first responders, and local organizations under one simple covenant: that we all share responsibility for the health, safety, and well-being of our streets.
The Code serves as both a guide and a promise — a public agreement to act with humanity, care for shared spaces, and approach conflict through conversation and cooperation rather than confrontation and control. It affirms that lasting community change is built through partnership, not division.
Purpose of the Code
The Nebraska Avenue Community Code of Ethics and Conduct was created to:
- Uphold dignity and compassion for every person, housed or unhoused.
- Encourage personal responsibility and mutual respect.
- Protect the health, safety, and vitality of neighborhoods and businesses.
- Serve as a living agreement developed with unhoused neighbors, service providers, faith communities, business owners, first responders, and residents.
- Support cleaner, safer streets, parks, and public spaces.
This initiative reflects a shared belief that when people are treated with dignity and held accountable with compassion, our community becomes stronger, safer, and more hopeful.
The Nebraska Avenue Community Code of Ethics and Conduct
- Respect and Dignity
- We treat every person with respect, regardless of housing status, income, or appearance.
- We speak kindly, listen openly, and remember that everyone’s story matters.
- Personal Responsibility
- We take responsibility for our actions.
- We avoid behaviors that cause harm, fear, or disruption for others — including littering, loitering in business entrances, public intoxication, drug use, or aggressive solicitation.
- Community Care
- We keep public spaces clean and safe for all to use.
- When possible, we help maintain the environment — picking up trash, respecting rest areas, and using public facilities responsibly.
- Safety and Non-Violence
- We commit to non-violence and peaceful coexistence.
- Disagreements are resolved through communication or mediation, not confrontation.
- Health and Sobriety
- We respect the health and well-being of ourselves and others.
- Substance use in public or shared areas harms trust and safety; we seek help when needed and support recovery in others.
- Partnership with Helpers
- We engage with outreach workers, faith leaders, first responders, and community partners offering assistance.
- We remain open to accepting help when offered, asking politely for help when needed, and staying in communication with those working to improve our situation.
- Respect for Property
- We do not damage, deface, litter, or take property that isn’t ours — public or private.
- When we use community spaces, we leave them better than we found them.
- Gratitude and Participation
- We thank those who help us and give back when we can — through kindness, volunteer work, prayers, helping, or simply showing respect.
- Everyone has something to contribute.
- Accountability with Compassion
- This code is not about punishment — it’s about relationships, repair, hope and redemption.
- When the code is violated, we seek conversation first, redirection next, and consequences as a last resort. Law enforcement and medical help are contacted promptly when necessary, through 911 for emergencies and using non-emergency numbers when appropriate.
- Hope and Future
- We believe in second chances and redemption.
- Everyone — no matter their past — can choose to build a better future for themselves and for this community.
Moving Forward Together
This Code represents more than a set of expectations — it is a living agreement that depends on continued dialogue, compassion, and shared responsibility. It recognizes that first responders, outreach workers, residents, and business owners all have a role to play in shaping a community where every person is treated with dignity and every public space reflects care.
In the weeks ahead, our five-part blog series will explore each of the guiding principles that inspired this Code: Human Dignity, Shared Responsibility, Collaboration Over Enforcement, Compassion in Practice, and Transparency. Together, these values form the foundation for a Nebraska Avenue that is safe, welcoming, and full of opportunity for all.
Post Series
- Part 1: Human Dignity – Every Person Has Value, Regardless of Circumstance
- Part 2: Shared Responsibility – How Our Choices Shape the Health of Our Community
- Part 3: Collaboration Over Enforcement – Building Solutions Through Dialogue Rather Than Punishment
- Part 4: Compassion in Practice – Creating Supportive Pathways Toward Stability and Recovery
- Part 5: Transparency – Building Trust Through Openness and Shared Understanding
