Nonprofits want daytime homeless shelter

[CS Foltz]

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?

[rjp2008]

Daytime center?!?

What about WORK!!

Evening center yes, but what about providing a simple jobs and night time housing to get things going again?

[CS Foltz]

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?

[rjp2008]

Live at a shelter for two weeks.

[sheclown]

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. 

[CS Foltz]

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!

[tufsu1]

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!

[fatcat]

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.

[fsu813]

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.

[CS Foltz]

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?

[fsu813]

"Is that your expert opinion from years in the field?"

- an over simplified version, yes.

[fsu813]

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.

[Springfield Girl]

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.

[Springfield Girl]

I agree and am keeping my fingers crossed that these new plans work.

[strider]

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.