Homelessness expert to speak at public forums

Sarasota County consultant Robert Marbut will be back in town next week, to gather public input and offer comments on the region’s progress in tackling homelessness.

Marbut, who put together a 12-point plan to address the apparent rise in homeless individuals in the county in 2013, will speak at 1 p.m Thursday, at the Venice Community Center, and 5:30 p.m. the same day at the Sarasota County Administration Center.

"This is a great opportunity for the county to assess the progress we've made on our homeless initiatives,” said Sarasota County Director of Homeless Services Wayne Applebee in a news release. "It's also a wonderful chance for the community to engage Dr. Marbut and ask questions.”

The city and county budgeted about $40,000 to hire Marbut two years ago, and the county plans to spend an additional $17,000 to bring him back for the conversations and analysis of local initiatives.

In a previous interview with the Sarasota Observer, Applebee said the county has made progress on most of the 12 initiatives, but said Marbut will probably highlight the lack of an established come-as-you-are homeless shelter, which proved to be controversial and caused a divide between city and county commissioners.

“He’ll find (the plan) completely operating on the family and children world, not on the adult side,” Applebee said.