Daytona Beach, FL – 3 men with experience on the front lines of homelessness come up with a plan that advises Volusia County to do more than just create a new homeless shelter in the middle of the county.
Former Stewart-Marchman Act Chief Executive Officer Chet Bell, former Serenity House CEO Randy Croy and former United Way of Volusia & Flagler Counties President Ray Salazar made a presentation to the Round Table of Volusia County Elected Officials when it met on Monday at Daytona Beach International Airport.
That presentation – which came 5 months after the 3 men were tasked on a volunteer basis to create possible solutions to the area’s homeless crisis – urged the county to form a special commission on homelessness. It also pushed for assessments of every homeless person living on Volusia’s streets and for better communication between governments and agencies that work specifically with the homeless.
While a shelter like the proposed “Safe Harbor” project being pushed by homelessness consultant Dr. Robert Marbut would offer a place for the homeless to stay while they get their life together, all 3 men say it won’t create stable housing for those homeless once they leave.
Bell, Croy & Salazar also felt the Safe Harbor concept – which has been pushed by the Daytona Beach City Commission as a potential solution to homelessness in the county – was getting too much attention across the board.
The report claim there’s up to $5.5 million available in funds to serve the local homeless population. That money comes from a mix of federal and state government programs and donations from private organization and doesn’t include another $2.3 million set aside specifically for aiding homeless veterans.
Bell, Croy & Salazar say a commission similar to the one created in Orlando can help ensure that money and other resources provided for the homeless are managed in the best possible way through agencies that already exist.
Volusia County has offered $4 million to build the Safe Harbor facility near the county jail, but that offer – which county leaders have said is only good until March 4th – is contingent on Volusia’s cities picking up the estimated $1.6 million yearly operating costs, something that Daytona Beach officials have said may be difficult to do due to a lack of support from other municipal governments.
The Daytona Beach City Commission has offered $4 million to operate Safe Harbor if the county matches, but members of the Volusia County Council have insisted that they will not put in any operation money.
The DBCC and VCC are in talks to hold a joint meeting soon to address the issue.
Copyright 2016 Southern Stone Communications.