Philosophical differences still divide city, county on homelessness

A July 1 letter from the County Commission to the City Commission outlined three options county leaders were weighing as the two bodies pursue an action plan on regional homelessness issues.

"The County Commission is looking forward to hearing from the City Commission on how we can work together on one of these options," the letter states.

Underscoring the level of disagreement that still exists on this issue, the City Commission approved a response Monday that rejects two of the options presented by the county and finds details lacking on the third.

Still, multiple commissioners were intent on fostering a collaborative and cooperative environment with the county, one in which the two governments could work together on an issue that has proven divisive in the past. The acrimony stems back to the joint hiring of consultant Robert Marbut, which eventually saw the city end discussions regarding a come-as-you-are homeless shelter within city limits.

As the city has pursued its own solution that focuses on a housing-first model, the county has continued to work on a program that adheres to Marbut’s principles, which prioritize establishing a shelter. As a result, the three options presented by the county in the July 1 letter are:

• The “3 to 1 plan,” which would turn the Salvation Army facility on 10th Street into a 24/7 homeless service operation. Although the proposal includes relocating the Resurrection House’s services into the new facility, the Resurrection House has shown no commitment to that proposal, City Manager Tom Barwin said.
• Consolidating homelessness services as described in option one at the Harvest Tabernacle’s campus at 209 N. Lime Ave.
• Supporting the creation of a come-as-you-are shelter in the unincorporated area of the county within a quarter-mile of the city of Sarasota.

The city’s response, approved at a meeting today, rejects the first two options, citing the long-standing opposition to a city-located shelter facility. The city does express a desire to know what, exactly, “support” would entail for the third option — and whether service providers such as the Salvation Army would agree to shut down or relocate its operations to facilitate that plan.

Commissioner Susan Chapman remained focused on a housing-first approach that has seen success in other communities across the country. Even before they hear back from the county, she encouraged staff to press forward in an attempt to create more housing options.

“I think we have talked about this a lot, and we have gotten started on a lot of things, but we really haven’t gotten started on implementing much of anything,” Chapman said. “I am ready to get started on moving toward housing homeless people.”

Other commissioners wanted to keep the dialog with the county alive, agreeing to attempt to schedule a joint meeting with the county within the next 60 days. Commissioner Liz Alpert said the two boards agreed that some sort of a short-term stabilization shelter was needed to transition homeless individuals off the street — and she was optimistic that the county would share a commitment toward creating more housing.

“I can’t imagine they could disagree that the housing is necessary,” Alpert said. “There has to be an ultimate outcome to go into housing or somewhere — that they’re not just going to stay there forever.”