Top issues to watch in 2014: Homelessness

Sarasota County’s ongoing homelessness debate will orbit around one key question in 2014 — where to build a controversial downtown homeless shelter.

The homelessness crisis in Sarasota last year spurred the county and the city of Sarasota to commission a national homelessness expert to study the area’s problem and present recommendations about what to do.  

They hired Dr. Robert Marbut, who released his final report in a series of presentations to county and city
officials Nov. 25.

One of Marbut’s recommendations was a controversial proposal for a homeless shelter in downtown Sarasota.

Marbut said the shelter should be built close to the homeless population’s center of mass, facilitating the engagement of the homeless in programs that might graduate them from the streets.

Downtown business owners and residents oppose such a shelter, claiming the facility would attract more homeless downtown, exacerbating an already visible scar on an area that touts its image as an artistic hub and tourist destination. 

City commissioners are drawing a short list of recommended sites and conducting environmental impact studies for the proposed locations.

An October Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness study reported the county’s homeless population has increased by 40% since 2011. 

“There is a steady flow of homeless into the area,” Marbut said. “What’s changed is that now you’ve hit a critical mass and the problem is more in your face.”

But, according to the report, the shelter debate has overlooked the area’s most serious homelessness-related question: how to care for the 907 homeless children identified in Sarasota County schools last year.

“Homelessness is not monolithic,” Marbut said. “Each group has its own triggers and treatments. Once you understand the triggers are different, you realize you need different solutions.”

Marbut’s recommendations also included two family crisis centers, where families who unexpectedly fall into homelessness can go while waiting for a long-term solution.

There was little pushback from county commissioners about the proposed family crisis centers, indicating that a move to fund the facilities will likely move forward this year.

Overview: A proposal to build a downtown homeless shelter has set the stage for a contentious debate about where the facility should be built.

Players: Sarasota County Commission, Sarasota City Commission, Dr. Robert Marbut, downtown business owners

Timeline: Marbut’s report was released Nov. 25. Look for a debate about the location of a proposed downtown homeless shelter to intensify in early 2014.

Contact Nolan Peterson at [email protected]