Drop-In Center for the homeless: Poll

[CS Foltz]

sheclown.........no doubt in my mind that those who are unwillfully either unmedicated or have physically impaired thought process's do need help and therein lies the problem...........who takes it upon themselves to do this? So I have to agree with your train of thought ....plain and simple!

[Dan B]

I dont disagree, BUT, how do you strike the balance between taking away someones constitutionally protected freedoms, and provide them with the services they need with out some form of institutionalization. If a sick person is given the medicine they need, and STILL wont take them (Jimmy, for instance), what can you do?

[sheclown]

...and to make matters even more complicated, they won't take the medication because of their illness.  They are too ill to understand they are ill.

[Ocklawaha]

Well in any case, rest assured that the City of Jacksonville is doing everything in it's power to make our disabled veterans feel at home. They have recently posted the Parking Nazi's around the VA clinic at 8TH and Boulevard, and anyone with an appointment that runs 20 minutes over is going to pay the price.

Contrast this with:

Portland, Oregon, parking enforcment: where any vehicle with an out of area tag is ticketed the first time get's a ticket that reads,
"WELCOME TO THE CITY OF ROSES, we're happy you are visiting beautiful Portland...etc... This is not a parking ticket, but we did want to make you aware that the city derives XX income from parking citations. These funds are used to better the XXX in order to make our city a nicer place to live. You may exchange this coupon at any of the sponsors listed on the reverse side.  
REVERSE:
Buy one get one free burgers at the Bigfoot Drive-in
Free soft drink or small fries with... "

OCKLAWAHA

[Sportmotor]

Well in any case, rest assured that the City of Jacksonville is doing everything in it's power to make our disabled veterans feel at home. They have recently posted the Parking Nazi's around the VA clinic at 8TH and Boulevard, and anyone with an appointment that runs 20 minutes over is going to pay the price.

Contrast this with:

Portland, Oregon, parking enforcment: where any vehicle with an out of area tag is ticketed the first time get's a ticket that reads,
"WELCOME TO THE CITY OF ROSES, we're happy you are visiting beautiful Portland...etc... This is not a parking ticket, but we did want to make you aware that the city derives XX income from parking citations. These funds are used to better the XXX in order to make our city a nicer place to live. You may exchange this coupon at any of the sponsors listed on the reverse side.  
REVERSE:
Buy one get one free burgers at the Bigfoot Drive-in
Free soft drink or small fries with... "

OCKLAWAHA

Dude, thats pretty cool actually.

[sheclown]

It is probably helpful to think of the Homeless as these groups of people who are only related by their situation of homelessness but could be identified by the primary reason for their homelessness (this is a crude attempt at categorizing them -- ):

1.) Veterans with Post Traumatic Stress
2.) Families with children who have suffered economic hardship
3.) Mentally ill
4.) Newly homeless with economic hardship
5.) Chronic alcoholics and drug abusers
------------
I would guess that #2 and #4 are the easiest groups to help and should be targeted for different services.  There are dedicated services for the first group, although some may resist treatment like #3.  Usually the chronic alcoholics and drug abusers want treatment, are desperate for it, it often just doesn't stick, so one ends up going around the same mountain again and again, although that doesn't mean it doesn't work, exactly, it just means you look at increasing the sober time and decreasing the time on the street.

The mentally ill are another issue entirely.  Unlike the other groups, they often don't even realize they need help.

[sheclown]

6.) Those aging out of foster care.

This group should be relatively easy to care for as well.  They need permanent supportive housing and access to job training and/or higher education until they can get themselves set up as productive adults.

[NotNow]

Sheclown,

I essentially agree with your list.  I would add the group who loiter downtown, but generally stay with parents or relatives at night.  These folks are largely responsible for the criminal acts and flim flams that are blamed on the homeless. 

[sheclown]

And if they are staying with parents or relatives, they are not homeless nor are they in need of services. 

[NotNow]

Agreed.  But these are the liars and scammers who would want you to believe they are veterans, or victims, or homeless, whatever will allow them to obtain benefits or favor that they would not otherwise be able to claim. 

[sheclown]

Agreed.  But these are the liars and scammers who would want you to believe they are veterans, or victims, or homeless, whatever will allow them to obtain benefits or favor that they would not otherwise be able to claim. 

True.  There are scammers in every walk of life. 

[ESHC]

I think this will answer all the questions to ESHC since Tuesday.  If I miss one let me know:
Most of the 800 homeless children reported by Duval County Schools are not included in the 3,000 homeless count.  This is due to two different ways that two different branches of the federal government define homeless. Most of these kids and their families are "couch surfing." The are sleeping on the floor of an aunts house one week, maybe at a friends the next...
Uptowngirl stated a lot of the DT homeless are not from Jacksonville. 74% of the homeless from last year's census had been here for a year or longer.  I am going to see if there is a way to break this out by the different areas of the city we count in for this year. 
NotNow asked how we get these numbers: 2 ways. Part comes from the HMIS (Homeless Management Information System) that services providers use. The other smaller part comes from the street count or survey. I do not have a good feel how many of the homeless are service resistant because of the 2 ways we get data.  To be in HMIS you have to have received a service.  To be counted through a survey you have to be willing to talk to someone. 
VET status: If it is coming from HMIS they have shown documentation of their status.  2008 VET numbers from the National Alliance to End Homelessness are 1,655,847 total vets in FL; 10,193 homeless vets in FL; 50,158 total homeless in FL. 
The ever popular liars and scammers topic.  When we (ESHC staff and 2 volunteers) surveyed Hemming Plaza less than 50% claimed to be homeless and only 3 claimed to be vets.  Not very scientific but it does give some insight. 

[NotNow]

It is probable that my sample is skewed since contact is law enforcement.  But my (unscientific) experience has been a much higher incidence of contact with the liar/scammer set.  I am sure that the difference in our observations is due to the types of contacts we have. 

Can you tell me if there are homeless services in any towns or cities around us?  I am familiar with the small operation in St. Auggie, any others?

[Dog Walker]

If 50% of the people in Hemming Park are not homeless, then the proper term is indeed "layabouts".

[uptowngirl]

So the 74% of the people from the census moved to Jacksonville and THEN became homeless?

If this is accurate then we have a serious issue with Jacksonville and it starts well before actually becoming homeless.