QuoteNonprofits want daytime homeless shelter
With the new Laura Street construction plans, attention is on homeless near the area.
A group of nonprofits is rallying for a daytime center for Jacksonville's homeless, a move that could help clear downtown of drifters as the city embarks on a multimillion-dollar upgrade of Laura Street.
The concept, which right now has no proposed location, price tag or money, would give the homeless better access to things like showers, telephones and the Internet. It's an effort aimed at helping the homeless and needy off the streets and into jobs.
Such a center has been discussed for years, and a temporary model proved useful when the city hosted the Super Bowl in 2005. The idea has gained more traction as City Hall embarks on downtown development plans.
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-01-17/story/nonprofits_want_daytime_homeless_shelter (http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-01-17/story/nonprofits_want_daytime_homeless_shelter)
Good idea but it should be placed were there is little impact on any residential area or public park were festivals or gathering are held.
If the above is done not only would the homeless and Laura Street benefit but the rest of the city as well
It would help clear up downtown for sure! I am assuming that the business's downtown would be helping fund or is this something that the City would take on?
Quote from: stephendare on January 17, 2010, 10:59:45 AM
Weve been working on this for about two years now.
The suggestion grew out of the merchants/homeless coalition meeting sponsored by metrojacksonville with Wanda Lanier about 4 years ago. Its crazy that time has flown this fast.
I think the plans are to locate it on the east side of downtown.
Where on the east side of downtown exactly?
Why not at the existing Suzbacher Center? If they clear everyone out at dawn, why couldn't they provide services during the day - rather than building a whole new facility?
Good question there Mr Charles! I am sure that most of the homeless persons know just where that is at and it would help clear downtown for sure!
Looking long term, a day center east of DT isn't a good idea. That could make it difficult to revive the Cathedral and Sports Districts. New facilites should be built in a centralized, but isolated location, like the old Dennis Street industrial district, imo.
Good idea, but not a great idea; this is just a temporary band aid remedy that's only a "day care" and not a hopeful permanent treatment or cure to attack the real problem as to why the individual is homeless. Just a day care.
"HU"
Quote from: Charles Hunter on January 17, 2010, 04:23:49 PM
Why not at the existing Suzbacher Center? If they clear everyone out at dawn, why couldn't they provide services during the day - rather than building a whole new facility?
Not everyone at Sulzbacher gets kicked out at dawn....and some of the homeless people on the streets wouldn't be allowed into Sulzbacher.
But I guess they could consider expanding the facility.
Quote from: thelakelander on January 17, 2010, 04:37:27 PM
Looking long term, a day center east of DT isn't a good idea. That could make it difficult to revive the Cathedral and Sports Districts. New facilites should be built in a centralized, but isolated location, like the old Dennis Street industrial district, imo.
where's that?
Its the old industrial area just west of the I-95 viaduct over the railroad tracks near the old rail terminal. Its bounded by McCoys Creek on the south, Stockton St to the west, Dennis Street to the north and the CSX railroad tracks to the east. In this particular area there are blocks and blocks of vacant mid-20th century brick warehouses that are obsolete for today's typical industrial warehousing needs. Its one of the few areas where something like this would be naturally buffered from existing residential neighborhoods, yet still centralized.
If it is centralized, along bus routes, seems like a reasonable idea.
It would be within walking distance of JTA's proposed terminal near the Prime Osborn.
Oh goody...............I bet JTA did not even take that information into account when proposing the new Transoportation Center! Maybe JTA can be persuaded to run a shuttle service huh? If they don't plan for this influx there will be a large problem!
What influx?? A proposed (but not approved, by anybody) day care center for the homeless at a yet to be named site (that lakelander and I have both proposed sites for)? I bet they didn't plan for the spaceport the three-headed aliens from Alpha Centauri are going to establish in Maxville, either.
Well Mr Charles...........would you agree there is a homeless problem downtown? If so then where will they go when the new Transportation Center is built? I don't think they will continue to stay where they are since they are usually either mobile or anchored in somewhere! I am sure that the new center will welcome them with open arms right? Hay, how about we round them up and throw them into a box car or 6 smf just send them down to somewhere else? You do realize I am yanking your chain right? Gonna have to do something soon or downtown won't ever come to life! Just out of curiosity..........where were the proposed sites?
I suggested using the Sulzbacher center during the days (most are kicked out at 5am), thelakelander suggested the Dennis Street area, just west of downtown and the JTC. I agree, something needs to be done - the questions are What? How much will it cost? and Who will pay for it? oh yeah, Where? is important, too.
as long as it's not locate near my hood, I am all for it. Anyone wants to volunteer their own hood?
Day shelter for superbowl....$70,000 for 14 days or $5,000 per day.
Day shelter for everyday........ $5,000 x 365 = $1,825,000.
I guess that is why they havn't done it already.
One question I have is will it have shopping cart parking? If everything they have is in "their" shopping cart and the shelter won't let shopping carts in they won't go there.
Overstreet..........I agree! Whatever is set up will cost something for sure! I look at the Bank of Jacksonville shelling out $34.3 Million Dollars plus a $5 Million Dollar Grant to Vesco and have to ask why? If just one tenth of the handed out monies were directed into something that most of us agree on and about, we might be able to do something that would help downtown and all of our neighborhoods but with the current Administration more concerned about them and theirs.......won't happen anytime soon! This is something that City Hall should take the forefront on rather than ignoring the problem!
CS...everything costs something...but what $34 million did the City give to Vestcor...you mean the loan?
btw, I'm pretty sure that most people on this site think that 11E and Carling have been good for downtown.
QuoteNew facilites should be built in a centralized, but isolated location...
Agreed.
Imho, Jacksonville should stop using the word "entice" in any discussion/story about the homeless. Nationwide, the homeless already know there is much to entice them here.
Imho, the center shouldn't be so pleasant a place in which to shower, use the internet, watch TV that it will attract down-on-their-lucks from out of town, or that patrons decide they don't need to get a job b/c hanging around there is just fine enough.
I thought the library was the daytime homeless shelter.
"Imho, the center shouldn't be so pleasant a place in which to shower, use the internet, watch TV that it will attract down-on-their-lucks from out of town, or that patrons decide they don't need to get a job b/c hanging around there is just fine enough."
- it's a fine line.
It would be very helpful to examine how other cities have had success.
Quote from: TPC on January 18, 2010, 11:25:11 AM
I thought the library was the daytime homeless shelter.
......the bus station used to fall into this category.
tufsu........I know everything costs something! Vescor got $17.8 Million Dollars @ 1.5% and $16.5 Million @1.4% plus a $5 Million dollar grant.........totals up to $39.3 Million! I would like to get that kind of money for that kind of cost...........my point is there was enough money to address the homeless situation and nothing has come from City Hall about it! The non-profits are thinking about this and not City Hall...........something is wrong with this picture don't you think?
Quote from: CS Foltz on January 18, 2010, 03:36:42 PM
tufsu........I know everything costs something! Vescor got $17.8 Million Dollars @ 1.5% and $16.5 Million @1.4% plus a $5 Million dollar grant.........totals up to $39.3 Million!
so, you mean the $34 million was a
loan? I'm sure the City would be willing to consider providing you a low interest loan as well, depending on the project you proposed and your development resume.
And maybe a daytime homeless shelter (run by a reputable group) could get that too!
Yes tufsu....$34.3 was a low interest loan but $5 Million was a grant! A Grant mind you...........free, here is some money enjoy and that does bother me when you look at the overall picture.............do I need to remind you that we are discussing $29.4 Million that was not used for anything? Developement fee of $1.3 Million and $3.6 Million used for upgrades so what happened to the remaining $29.4 Million Dollars?? I am diverted........my point is that the $5 Million Dollar GRANT could have been applied to just this situation! Why was it not? So I am back to square one..........non-profits taking the lead and the City is busy acting like a bank because Vescor are buddy's with Johnny............it is a matter of prioritizing and I can see just what matters to the City!
Quotemy point is that the $5 Million Dollar GRANT could have been applied to just this situation! Why was it not? So I am back to square one..........non-profits taking the lead and the City is busy acting like a bank because Vescor are buddy's with Johnny............it is a matter of prioritizing and I can see just what matters to the City!
I like what Vestcor did with the buildings so I think it was money well spent. And quite frankly, I'd rather have money spent on rehabbing a building then on a daytime homeless shelter. But maybe I'm just crass.
cline..........you have a point! At least with the Vesco Projects @ 80% capacity there is some revenue potential and maybe a return on what we tax payers have supplied...........right or wrong it has already taken place. But I am not sure about funding anything for the homeless of downtown, however those business's that have that issue hindering their business may have something to say about it! Should they band together to address the issue or should the City take the lead or should something else take place?
Daytime center?!?
What about WORK!!
Evening center yes, but what about providing a simple jobs and night time housing to get things going again?
rjp2008............makes perfect sense to me............get something for something! Now how would you suggest we go about this in this way in a cost effective manner?
Live at a shelter for two weeks.
I think work is a GREAT idea. Number one way would be to reduce the $25.00 ID charge so that they can get work. Another way would be to set up the shelters so that they can get work and still make it in line for a bed in the evening. There are many hurdles that stop them from finding work.
I think a work's program is the best idea yet. It could be incorporated into the day center.
Internet seem frivolous, but many services are now only offered online and if you want homeless out of the library, you need to give them internet access somewhere. One cool benefit of email is that people without a street address now have a "permanent address" email-style that family can contact them. Food stamps, employment, unemployment...many of these services are more easily done online.
A day center makes sense, is humane, and helps all of downtown.
Working is a good idea for ! Something to consider is just cleaning up downtown? This could be done without some training and would make downtown at the minimum cleaner than what it is............this could be expanded outside the core.........pay minimal wage plus some benifits like an E Mail address and could become part of a day center overall plan but that would take some leadership and a place!
Quote from: CS Foltz on January 19, 2010, 12:10:59 PM
Working is a good idea for ! Something to consider is just cleaning up downtown? This could be done without some training and would make downtown at the minimum cleaner than what it is............this could be expanded outside the core.........pay minimal wage plus some benifits like an E Mail address and could become part of a day center overall plan but that would take some leadership and a place!
and likely some tax dollars too!
work? R u crazy? for majority of those people, they would not been there if they were willing to work, even part time. Or if they were willing to pretend to want to work they would be hang out labor pool.
it would just be a bandaid, a temporary solution.
the long-term solution is to deconsolidate the social service centesr from Downtown and spread them around a little.
tufsu...........how do you think that the non-profits are going to do it? Mayor addressed that problem in his Rah Rah speech but once again...........nothing but lip service once again...........talk is cheap , show me a plan, a vision......how are going to fund something...........take up a collection from all of the downtown merchants? Oh I got...........we can just "FEE" them right?
"Is that your expert opinion from years in the field?"
- an over simplified version, yes.
I work in the field. Family & friends do as well.
I assume you don't agree that deconsolidating the largest social services organizations is a good idea.
I am not an expert in the field but we can clearly see that what we are doing now is failing miserably. You don't have to look far to see that the homeless issue is causing folks to stay away from Downtown. It is all over comment sections of publications and websites. Whether right or wrong the residents of Jacksonville don't want to be in an area overun with the homeless, which itself is just a catch phrase that encompasses many social ills. The majority of street people in Jax just happen to be in this area. I don't think it matters where they are, people are not going to want to be around them. Again, not saying this is wrong or right, just reality.
I agree and am keeping my fingers crossed that these new plans work.
I have to ask, why is it that eveyone says they are an expert and says that the services for the homeless should be elsewhere and yet always seem to forget why the various services are here in the urban core to start with? It was fine for the homeless and the shelters to be here when the upper social ecomonic classes did not want anything to do with the urban core, however, now that this group of people have decided that urban living is cool, these people and the organizations that help them must go.
Hey, even I will agree to a small point (depending on the existance of other related services) , but for now, they are here and they aren't going anywhere. No money, no help and so no where else to go. If we do not help them here now, then they will just be here anyway without help.
A day care center in the urban core that offers not only help with personal hygene and medical issues, but job hunting, education finding and funding and more is a great idea that can help not only downtown and the urban core, but the homeless themselves. A great and some what novel idea ... provide a win-win situation for everyone.
Quote from: CS Foltz on January 22, 2010, 02:41:53 PM
tufsu...........how do you think that the non-profits are going to do it? Mayor addressed that problem in his Rah Rah speech but once again...........nothing but lip service once again...........talk is cheap , show me a plan, a vision......how are going to fund something...........take up a collection from all of the downtown merchants? Oh I got...........we can just "FEE" them right?
The Mayor's speech is a vision...now it just needs to be implemented!
Ok..............waiting to be implemented.......open statement to Johnny....show me your power!