Alachua County Commission approves pilot project for permanent housing in shipping containers at Scottish Inn site
BY JENNIFER CABRERA
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – At their February 27 Regular Meeting, the Alachua County Commission approved a $1.5 million pilot project for permanent supportive housing in shipping containers on the Scottish Inn property.
Claudia Tuck, Director of Alachua County Community Support Services, presented a pilot project for permanent housing using shipping containers. Tuck said shipping containers are cost-effective and flexible; they can be stacked three high, and they’re “durable and sustainable.”
Various options were considered
Tuck said she and her staff had toured the vacant space at GRACE Marketplace, but GRACE was concerned about “any further impact to the campus” from adding units without showers and kitchens because the shower facilities and cafeteria are already busy. Other concerns with GRACE included questions about who has the rights to develop the land and how much land is actually available; Tuck said they felt like a Campus Master Plan should be done before any major changes are made at GRACE.
Tuck and her staff also met with Ken McGurn, who proposed 80 double-occupancy rooms and 120 containers on vacant land at GRACE. Tuck said there are concerns with double-occupancy rooms; she said GRACE Executive Director Jon DeCarmine told her they “can be harder [to manage] than running a shelter.” Staff also visited Welding to Recycle, a Gainesville business that builds container homes; Tuck said County staff members were “quite impressed with what was available, and the price was very reasonable.”
Scottish Inn property
The Alachua County Commission voted in November to buy the Scottish Inn property, and County staff recommended using the northern part of that property for the pilot project. Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) funds of $1.5 million will be reallocated to the project.
Facilities Director Dan Whitcraft presented the draft site plan, which shows a combination of 20-foot (housing single units) and 40-foot containers (each housing two units), for a total of 29 units.
There are multiple variations of units from the local vendor, and one is shown below; they have air conditioning via a mini-split unit, a tankless hot water heater, an internet hook-up, a kitchenette, a sleeping area (the unit shown is intended for an AirBNB, and beds will not be in a loft in the Alachua County units), and a bathroom with a shower. Whitcraft also said they’re working on putting in a way to cook, perhaps by adding a unit that has a refrigerator, induction cooktop, and sink built in.
Motion
Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler made a motion to approve staff’s recommendation, which was to approve proceeding with the permanent housing pilot of container homes, located at the north end of the County-owned property formerly known as the Scottish Inn. Commissioners Ken Cornell and Anna Prizzia seconded the motion, nearly in unison.
The motion passed 4-0 with Commissioner Chuck Chestnut absent, and Chair Mary Alford said, “That makes me super happy.”
Cornell: City should use GCRA funds to address homelessness
Following the vote, Cornell said the board should “really focus in on how do we move forward with what is a growing crisis of homelessness, not just in our community but in all the communities around us. And I think the County’s approach has been to really focus on permanent supportive housing and to focus on wrap-around services. And I’ve always said and continue to say that I think the City’s responsibility is to focus on the shelter and to focus on providing more housing units for the citizens.”
Cornell read the letter that is published here and said the City told the County that $12 million in GCRA funds was “moving to downtown… They should be using those funds for [the homeless problem]; we can’t invest in a downtown area if we’re not addressing that issue. And I think that it’s really important that we, as a board, ask them to do that.”
Prizzia said the sentiments in Cornell’s letter were reasonable, but “here’s the thing: We have 700-and-some-odd unhoused individuals in Alachua County at the Point in Time count. That’s probably not capturing everybody because that’s only capturing people that were on the street… So we’re probably, according to United Way and GRACE, looking at closer to 2,000-3,000 people who actually don’t have permanent housing… We have 130 shelter beds at GRACE, temporary shelter beds.” She asked how many permanent supportive housing units there are, and Tuck said there are about 65.
Prizzia continued, “So if you do the math, it’s nowhere near 700.” She said the “push and pull between us and the City” about funding isn’t helpful because even if the City got every person on the street to agree to go into permanent supportive housing, “we don’t have any place to put them.”
Cornell agreed but pointed out that the County has “$500,000 less money this year to do that because of last year” when they approved $500,000 to make up a funding gap in the City budget for GRACE. “Every time we make a decision to take on a role that is a City role, we take money away from a role that we are attempting to fill, that permanent supportive housing role… Look, if we didn’t do that last year, we could do $2 million today” instead of the $1.5 million for the pilot project.
Cornell continued, “I don’t want to do a tit-for-tat, but when the Mayor says, ‘We have an emergency,’ [he should say] ‘Thank you, County, for helping us with it,’ not ‘The County needs to do more,’ because the County is doing a lot.”
Alford: “The people that complain… about the unhoused people sleeping on the doorsteps downtown are often some of the same people responsible for the fact that they’re there.”
Alford said she has been meeting with Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward, and she has discussed having a joint press conference with him “to talk about the emergency housing and to present a united front going forward.” She said her goal in having the press conference is to tell private landlords “that have been making money on raised rents… We have seen people displaced every day in this county… in the last four years–We’re seeing people pushed out of housing due to increased costs… The people that complain… about the unhoused people sleeping on the doorsteps downtown are often some of the same people responsible for the fact that they’re there. And so I want to… ask them to help.” She said they can’t solve the problem “with just government money.” She proposed creating a task force that would include the City, the County, and “private folks and to get them to help us solve this problem with private dollars.”
Cornell: “Can we agree, though, that one solution is that they can’t live on the sidewalk in front of a business?”
Cornell responded that “businesses downtown also need our help in making sure that people aren’t sleeping and living outside of their business. That can’t happen.” Alford agreed, “Absolutely.”
Prizzia said there need to be places where “these people are allowed and welcomed… We had Dignity Village that was supposed to be a place where they were welcomed while they were waiting for shelter. It didn’t work. So we need a solution.”
Cornell asked her, “Can we agree, though, that one solution is that they can’t live on the sidewalk in front of a business?” and Prizzia responded, “Of course.” Cornell continued, “We have to be, in my opinion, unified [both City and County] on that because we’ll never get… the private sector to join us if we don’t do that.” He reiterated that he thought GCRA money should be spent on homelessness instead of “improving infrastructure.”
Alford added, “There’s no beautification that can fix the problem of somebody that’s on a sleeping bag, in a pillow, in the front of a beautiful park bench. It just doesn’t work.”
Prizzia said a Downtown Strategic Plan could include both beautification and infrastructure and also fund housing and support for the people who are living on the streets. She also thought the County shouldn’t tell the City what to do with the GCRA money.
So “Manny” Alford wants to have a press conference? She/it does realize the press in Gainesville is not what it once was, and you shouldn’t be playing to the media to begin with.
So, 29 200 sqft units without a shower or cooking facilities for more than $50,000 each? And this is permanent housing for dopers, addicts, bums and criminals. Perfect solution. Guaranteed to draw even more undesirables to GNV. This is not even a county responsibility. It belongs to GNV.
Take away the food and the mice and rats go away. How about this as a solution for all our bleeding heart commissioners — let’s invite all the illegal unskilled mutts that were dumped on New York City to come to Gainesville where we’ll take care of all of them. Free food. Free housing. Free translation services. And of course lots of equity, which will naturally include a free debit card loaded with lots of spending cash. What’s the old saying? “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” The unpaved roads in Alachua County are all leading to the hell of a communist wasteland.
Turn off Fox “News”. Your mood and intelligence will hopefully rebound into reality.
Why the personal attack? This is the tactic of the person with no other option.
Alford thinks the insane people carting around tons of trash on the front steps of downtown offices and businesses are actually people who were recently evicted by their greedy landlords here in town? She needs to get the oil pressure in her head checked.
Its ironic that the county now wants private landlords to assist with a problem. This comes after doing everything they could to increase costs to mom & pop landlords and drive many rental units out of the marketplace:
https://alachuachronicle.com/alachua-county-commission-begins-repeal-of-rental-unit-permit-and-inspection-program/
Blaming landlords? I have no words…
Looks better than home for which I pay.
Where to apply or can I start squatting?
Why does no one ask about recurring annual costs and where those funds will come from before voting yes? Money for fixing and repairing that will surely occur with a fair % of these.
Building code requires at leased 2 parking spaces per unit, yes? I see only 10 with 1 handicap spot. So why are more than 5 container units shown by the not very smart county zoning & permit staff?
No need to ask. It’ll come from the working, (most anyway), taxpaying residents.
Those mini-split ACs cost $2000 and break, hard to get parts for. Why not cheap $150 window units, aren’t they chichi enough?
“Why not cheap $150 window units, aren’t they chichi enough?”
Because they know they would be stolen and sold on the first day.
The copper wire and tubing will be chopped out of every unit within 6 months.
Don’t forget the continuing costs of a shuttle bus, its maintenance and driver(s) to transport them for their panhandling shifts at assigned street corners. Plus the costs of puppy chow for those who go the extra mile by dragging along a poor dog so as to tear at the heartstrings of drivers caught at the lights.
And what about insurance? What’s required, and who’s paying for it?
You, me and other tax paying residents.
I’d like to know if they can even get insurance with all of the insurance companies cancelling policies and pulling out of the state.
Speaking of pulling out, we wouldn’t be in this predicament if some people’s daddies would have pulled out a long time ago.
Every one of the shipping containers is a self-contained furnace waiting to happen.
I’ll say it again…New American City
Your very own local UN model city
UF strategic development plan:
https://strategicdevelopment.ufl.edu/about/#New-American-City
“Its mission is to research and offer policy direction and help guide organizational development toward becoming an iconic New American City. The Strategic Initiatives Department has led the successful effort of aligning the city’s Strategic Plan Framework with the University of Florida’s Strategic Development Plan. …
… The rapid pace at which our community is changing requires us to speak in new ways about the direction we are heading. The department has worked with a local agency to develop a transitional city branding strategy which will roll out shortly to help publicly define what a New American City is and why it is important for Gainesville to lead the way. These are but a few of the hundreds of exciting changes occurring in city government that exemplify our pride in being in the vanguard of Gainesville’s transformation into a preeminent New American City.”
https://guidetogreatergainesville.com/gainesville-a-new-american-city/
Here’s another old article:
https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/local/2018/06/24/gainesville-aims-to-be-new-american-city/11896275007/
“At Global Refuge, we believe that immigrants and refugees have an inherent right not to simply survive, but to thrive. Yet there is a fundamental problem in the refugee resettlement system. Refugees are required to accept the first job they are offered—often a low-wage, entry-level position. …
…The New American Cities program seeks to solve that problem by promoting economic empowerment, social mobility, and diverse, inclusive communities through a three-prong system: pathway building, career navigation, and harnessing the power of champions and coalitions.“
https://www.globalrefuge.org/what-we-do/inclusion-and-empowerment/new-american-cities/
Downtown in the “New American City”
October 2009The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/239770332_Downtown_in_the_New_American_City
2009, Bernie Machen was in this town from 2003–14 he and Fuchs are behind a Lot of this New American–Global (now we call them ‘newcomers’) BS. Again I thank God for Ben Sasse.
Valid refugees from oppression are fine. NOT the millions of economic refugees fleeing commie and oligarchs in 3rd world. Stay and overthrow your oppressors instead!
Slice, there is absolutely nothing in the documents you link to which even hints at your claim that UF and Gainesville’s “New American City” term means the same thing as the refugee groups use of that term. None. In fact Gainesville defined it in a 2018 document as meaning a government more responsive to citizens wants, needs, and ability to prosper. Agree with that proposal or not, there is no mention of refugees, immigrants, the UN, globalism or other bugaboos that apparently set you off on a paranoid toot.
“GAINESVILLE: A NEW AMERICAN CITY – 2018
Nearly two years ago, city commissioners asked a simple, but important question: “How can the City of Gainesville, Florida, become more competitive?” What happened next is now fundamentally shifting the trajectory of our community’s development from that of a small college town to becoming a dynamic regional economic engine in the state of Florida. Gainesville’s unique answer to becoming more competitive is to reinvent itself as the most citizen-centered city in America.
We know that “The purpose of our city, is the people of our city.” So we’ve committed to redesigning our city around the citizens it serves. Our goal is make every citizen interaction and experience with city government feel as though the encounter was designed with them in mind. Human-centered design thinking aids the redesign of our processes so that all city activities help, celebrate, and guide our citizens – and then recede into the background, enabling citizens to make Gainesville the best possible place to live….
“The Strategic Initiatives Department has led the successful effort of aligning the city’s Strategic Plan Framework with the University of Florida’s Strategic Development Plan. The department is also working to identify, coordinate and implement key aspects of a historic agreement outlining strategic collaborations between the city and university. Through the agreement, both the city and university have formalized a working relationship that mutually benefits each entity in areas including economic opportunity, business development, housing, neighborhoods, culture and the arts, safety, transportation, technology and environmental stewardship.
In the past year, outcomes from the agreement include more than $350,000 in research awards to seven UF – City of Gainesville research projects. Selected projects range from studying successful approaches to entrepreneurship to public acceptance of autonomous vehicle technology. A joint fellowship opportunity sponsored by the City of Gainesville and the Bob Graham Center for Public Service is enabling four University of Florida students to work collaboratively with experienced city leaders to provide solutions to intractable local issues.
The rapid pace at which our community is changing requires us to speak in new ways about the direction we are heading. The department has worked with a local agency to develop a transitional city branding strategy which will roll out shortly to help publicly define what a New American City is and why it is important for Gainesville to lead the way.
These are but a few of the hundreds of exciting changes occurring in city government that exemplify our pride in being in the vanguard of Gainesville’s transformation into a preeminent New American City.”
https://guidetogreatergainesville.com/gainesville-a-new-american-city/
There is plenty of evidence that New American Cities are being developed to house a large number of people by utilizing very dense residential & mix use properties. These have been discussed for decades so I don’t know why you’re playing dumb. Where’s the local demand for this? Americans aren’t procreating fast enough to justify it. Even with the influx of out of town homeless folks there still isn’t enough demand for this housing. It isn’t just Gainesville either.
Why is the fed govt funneling so much money towards these projects? It has spanned three Pres administrations – starting with Obama and the Economic Development Admin + HUD that funneled fed bucks down for the required infrastructure between UF and downtown. Then the Trump tax reform plan that allowed trillions of dollars in corporate offshore tax havens to be repatriated with no tax liability so long as the corporations used a certain amount of the funds to invest in pre-chosen economic redevelopment areas, known as Opportunity Zones. This is why a majority of the new large housing developments around here were developed by out of town and fairly unknown development firms…they were newly created subsidiaries of the huge corps that were allowed to on-shore their previous tax sheltered dollars. So that process allowed for the private capital to be used to build the structures that will continue to be owned by enormous corporations. Enter Biden…now it’s time to put on the final touches and bring in the people to actually fill the rental housing and jobs. And don’t forget that a large portion of the rents (and payroll subsidies) will be generously provided for by fed govt. It’s almost as if large corporations run the government….and the folks that put their faith in Ben Sasse are equally as lost. I can’t believe anyone still defends senators.
Open your eyes – this is happening all over the world. I’m not against legal immigration, I’m against a full on underhanded and unlawful assault on a sovereign nation while the involved corporations continue to evade taxes while gaining even more control of govts.
And to be honest, I’m more concerned with the designs and technologies that are planned for these ‘new cities’….talk about an open air prison with the all seeing eye monitoring everyone to make sure you and your social credit score is in line. But you probably love the thousands of cameras and countless small cell sites that already surround us. Let’s not mention the destruction of ingress and egress with all of these ill planned two lane roads
Also Jazz – it is all spelled out in Agenda21, Agenda2030, and the Sustainable Development Goals. Those are verifiable United Nations objectives that have been written about extensively. Stop the obfuscation…The city, the county, and the university are all onboard. GRU was on board but maybe not anymore.
Slice, high density and especially in downtown areas are viewed – with some evidence, whether you would want to live there or not – as engines for strong downtown areas and other benefits like functional public transportation and those goals have nothing to do with immigrants or refugees. As a member of a county advisory committee I was present at many discussions of these goals and similarly immigrants and refugees were not part of that or any formula for urban planning.
You don’t have to like these goals, which are part of the New Urbanism movement, but they make sense as a rebuilding of what cities in America were before the automobile changed our life. They have nothing to do with what you are afraid of.
Please explain how our current mayor has been getting marching orders from this UN organization since 2020: https://iclei.org/network_city/city-of-gainesville-fl/
Remember when the previous mayor said this: https://mycbs4.com/news/local/mayor-poe-says-governor-desantis-should-send-migrants-to-gnv-keith-perry-senator-questions
What are the city and county and the permanent residents tax payers of Alachua County getting back for providing shelter for the “homeless” and/or what are the homeless doing in return for this free shelter, etc.? There should be published rules that you have to get a job or do some kind of work AND keep your shelter clean and free of drugs, alcohol and not turn it into a brothel. You also need to pass a criminal background check. Nothing is free, you HAVE to give SOMETHING back!!!
It’s to help their campaign donors: lawyers, judges, NGO board members, and our biggest employers like M-eridian across the street. Don’t they have a campus with space for these?
At the TAX payer’s expense, typical democrat solution.
Real generous with other people’s money.
Check on cost of jail and police. We pay either way.
Why not try and help people instead of warehousing them in violent and degrading conditions.
because they don’t want help, just a fix. They don’t want to work, just panhandle. You can only help people that WANT to be helped. Have you never dealt with an addict?
Guest-I will add to Hundred3y35’s comment….have you ever dealt with a mentally ill homeless person?
I will sell my truck and house for such an upgrade.
Where do I make the application to be 1st in line?
To keep truck at 1 of 10 spaces is an extra cost?
No Problem! Just raise property taxes!!!! Again!!!! At least it is not near MY house. I’m sure the neighbors along SW 13th street will be more welcoming. Why not just use the abandoned Work Camp out past the end of E. University Ave?
Only 700 people?
Out of a community of 100k+ population there aren’t enough ‘walk the talk’ compassionate liberals to take in only 700 people?
That’s pathetic.
To expand on Alford’s brilliance, the only reason we have 700 homeless on the street is because there aren’t enough generous liberals in this town to take them in.
Since they will have an “appraised or assessed” value attached will they be charged property taxes?
Given this Commission and the City idiots, probably not. That burden will fall on the people who aren’t non-taxpaying, self-sufficient residents of Alachua County.
Hope all of you liberal Democrats are happy to fund another of your elected leaders pet projects, you’re as big as idiot as they are. Too bad they can’t take away your right to vote given your bad decisions.
They will become a dump in no time.
At least the rounds fired by SWAT won’t penetrate the steel shipping containers during the standoffs they will have.
More proof DISGRACE was never gonna end homelessness as promised. Are these units for locals only, or open to transplants from elsewhere too? Especially with long addiction and repeat offender histories?
Why not, that’s what the local lawyers and bail bondsmen wanted from G. And this one is so close to our other magnet center, M-eridian 👹🤡💩
NONE of these NGOs should be in a college town. Move them all to Marion, where people like them have opportunities.
Putting ADDICTED people into permanent housing BEFORE providing treatment for their Alcohol and/or Drug addiction/abuse first continues to be a recipe for disaster.
We have two MAGNETS the City Commission created.
One, is the City’s Grace Marketplace where homeless people can come to Gainesville from all over the state and country and receive FREE taxpayer funded services – NO residency requirements and NO police clearances for outstanding warrants required – not safe for anyone.
Two, being their reckless creation for a massive so-called Entertainment District for OUTDOOR drinking in the streets – that has turned into a place for underage binge drinking and created an OUTDOOR open air drug market.
A place where AGGRESSIVE panhandling runs rampant where young college students are easy prey.
Instead of rethinking teir two MAGNETS that created this public health and safety nightmare – the City Commission continues to dump hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars into Grace Marketplace and put a new paint job for their so-called Entertainment District.
I agree with you on everything but the entertainment district. I should not be made to drink indoors because of underaged drinking or pan handeling. Both happen whether we have outdoor areas to drink or not.
Guess you’re new here. Once upon a time GPD were allowed to do their jobs on the Party Patrol, stopping underage drinking, panhandling, disruptive parties, and rowdiness (and gun crimes were almost unheard of). So no, before the woke policy makers took over, effectively neutering GPD, Gainesville kept underage public drinking and pan handling pretty well under control. https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/2004/08/28/putting-pinch-on-partyers/31674972007/
Again, why should I as an adult, have to go inside because of 2 other things that have no bearing on what I am trying to do.
If they throw money at this problem, they will only make it worse. Build it and they will come. They need to use that money to send the bums back to where they came from, not make them a permanent fixture here… Grace market is a bum magnet and other counties release their inmates to Alachua County to receive our benefits. Gainesville & Alachua county need to become famous by not pandering to this negative element and the vagrants need to stay away and go somewhere else.
The bums will still squat, crap everything up, lie, cheat, steal, litter, commit crimes! Our price of groceries at the stores are going up because the bums go into the grocery stores and eat stuff without paying as their personal smorgasbords. They need to be put on a work crew. If they take the public $, they need to give back with public service…the best thing to to is to not cater to them and get them out of here!!!
Alford: “The people that complain… about the unhoused people sleeping on the doorsteps downtown are often some of the same people responsible for the fact that they’re there.” If she had any character at all she would look in the mirror every morning and say, “I did this.”
Just like a liberal, blaming someone else instead of taking responsibility. When she has that press op with Ward, maybe she should ask him why he’s been instrumental in increasing utility rates, property taxes and special assessments during his tenure.
Agreed. It’s never a liberals fault for what’s wrong.
I have questions….
These will be double occupancy-single housing units?
Who is going to chaperone?
Will there be an “office” on-site to handle issues?
What about security and/or complaints made by people on-site?
What happens when 6 people are in one unit for a month?
Does that mean time-out? Grounded? Can’t go visit Susie’s She Shed anymore?
Does anyone even know or thought about these questions?
Are people chosen to live here?
Do we build it and they just come like The Walking Dead looking for cover?
How dangerous is this for first responders walking into a tin can?
Dignity was a biohazard…can you imagine these canisters?
We will be providing endless housing to “house” our “unhoused” as we are not addressing the issue of people being unhoused and coming to, or being stuck in our area. The Commission needs to think outside of the box, look to different cities for suggestions for clearing out the homeless, be humble and adjust their priorities. No, you cannot live in front of a business. That is the law. Allow people to enforce the law.
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result”
We need to vote them out, starting with all of them. If you’re on this site and you don’t vote it’s your fault. Duckpond and easily influenced students are major problems. Students should vote in their hometown and raise their daddy’s taxes. Duckponds marijuana cards should be suspended until after elections to help them think straight.
‘Shipping containers”…..Hmm….very interesting. Can we use these containers to ship the ‘homeless’ (beggar’s & drug addicts with NO work ethic) to California….aka the land of fruits & nuts?
When something is given to people for free, (think parents giving cars and other items of value to kids); there’s no appreciation for the work that went into obtaining such goods. That’s bound to happen here. Even now, you see it amongst the trash and filth on the streets and sidewalks. Give a homeless person a drink or food and the containers end up on the sidewalks. The homeless will walk the medians panhandling but they won’t walk 10 feet to a trashcan to dispose of someone’s generosity.
Gullible liberals. This is going to end well.
This sounds like a really, really bad idea that will have lots of unplanned, negative consequences.
And I’m a liberal voter.
Are…the roads fixed?
Again, we can pay to house the homeless – in jails or shelters – or live with them on the streets. You can’t fix it for free. The fact that they tend to stay where it’s warm and the economy is good means they will only leave if our area fails economically and it gets colder her – that happening!
In the past – before court rulings which made it tougher to commit people against their will or arrest them for loitering – we paid for them in mental institutions – generally horrible places – or in short term jail space. We can’t do either of these again unless the SC changes current law, which the governors of California, Oregon, Washington, and others have asked them to do.
The economy here is like a mentally retarded pig (like most of our past/current “leaders”). Look at Miami. They have a great economy and great weather. They actively work to make it an inhospitable city for vagrants, and it works.
The judicial system created the monsters. Lawyers and scummy judges keep them here for their so important hearings. Then they cope with booze and drugs, mental issues compound … so they never leave.
Remember, Alachua County had the old fairgrounds. 129 acres next to the airport. But they declared they did not need it, so they gave it to the US Army cuz the Army does not have enough money to buy their own land. County could have put many hundreds of containers across the street from Grace, but good thinking does not happen on the BOCC.
Landlords should donate to whoever is running against them. And let their tenants know the candidates that are likely to result in lower rent. And the landlords should lower the rent if the right people win.
Agreed! It’s the same premise, or should we say, ‘promise,’ Democrats continue to keep their constituents enslaved to government handouts.
Still slaves, just chained by other links.
All the complaining seems to be overlooking that there is a potential plan to house the unhoused. I don’t know that I like the idea of shipping containers in Florida’s climate but at least there seems to be an idea worth discussing rather than letting people camp out in front of active businesses. I’m all for critical questions but the constant complaining, personal attacks on the homeless and others will not solve the problem.
Definitely not in favor of personal attacks, but you perhaps may be under the mistaken belief that this road hasn’t been traveled a few times before and it’s not a solution unfortunately.
Reality is this current proposal is happening b/c they have “free” funds from the money printer in dc to spend for the one time cost to get it up and running.
No one is overlooking it. The issue is county and city leaders tend to overlook who’s going to have to pay for it.
They are really building a vagrant industry here. Very sad.
If they go ahead with it, it MUST have screened visitors, security crimewatch system, barbed wire fencing and walls with spikes on top. Minimum. Otherwise it’s just another crime breeding venue.
I am so pleased that this project got approved. More Permanent supportive housing is never a bad thing!!
What does supportive mean in this sentence?
how can they be so stupid those places wont last there going to get thrashed and demolished with in months from the people living in there
and i suppose it’s our tax dollars paying for it all whose paying for their bedding the dishes there cleaning items which will never be used the dishes all the necessities to live on a person off the street has no money to buy food toilet paper anything so you’re going to give them a place to live so they can pan handle and then get drunk and use drugs.
Big mistake! You have just invited more violence, drug use and crime to Gville. Total waste of money.
I think the idiots that voted for this need to be moved to that area. If not to live there, then at least force them to spend 1 weekend a month there or the very least build a container they can have their little meetings at.
So the homeless get an air conditioner and a water heater. The county needs to give a free air conditioner to every resident of Alachua County FIRST.
And no one has said who will pay the monthly high GRU electric bill for the air conditioner and tankless water heater. Unemployed homeless people, or the taxpayers?
2024-185 Invitation to Bid Award Recommendation for Lawn Maintenance at GRACE Marketplace (B)
Fiscal Note: The total price of $188,600.00 includes a one-time cleanup cost of $2,600. The annual service cost, after the one time cleanup cost, is $37,200. The cost for these services is budgeted for in the Public Works Department FY 2024 operational budget. It is partially reimbursed to the City by the Alachua County Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry in their monthly charge for Common Area Maintenance. The current reimbursement for lawn maintenance from Alachua County Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry is $25,668 of the annual cost (69%).
Why does it cost so much? Everything has to be pristine and manicured for the hobos? Just don’t mow it that often. Or – here’s an idea – get a riding mower and let the residents use it. Buy them a 12-pack of Coor’s. Of course DeGrifto and Co. wouldn’t be able to benefit from that arrangement, so it would never be considered.
Maybe these worthless bums could learn to mow and maintain their own landscaping for free, so they could one day do it as a job instead of freeloading?
Nah, what am I thinking–these bums are too good to work like the rest of us.
Just wait until parents start yanking their kids out of UF or people just stop applying altogether because of our homeless camps all over town. That will get the message to the city and county commissions real fast!
Use some forest land to erect barracks. Consign all the bums, etc. to the barracks. Compel them to work if they are physically able to. Work at what? Growing crops and raising animals for the food they need to sustain them. The rule is simple. You don’t work — you don’t eat. How many of these useless and superfluous losers would pile into Gainesville if they knew they had to work to survive? Perhaps the more industrious among the bum class could go on to really learn about agriculture and go on to make a productive occupation of it outside the confines of the barracks. Who knows? Maybe even our dimwit, useless local “leaders” could spend some time there learning to do some real work instead of leaching off the taxpayers.
Instead of wasting money on building for all intents and purposes sheds for the homeless this may be a better idea. Round up the area homeless and put them to work. They can be bused to Texas, Arizona, and other border states. Equip them with a shovel. Everytime an illegal trespassers sticks their head over a wall, through a fence, or from a bush onto US soil the homeless gets a free swing at them with the shovel. Kinda like a fun game of Wack-a-mole. We can ship all the container there too. The homeless can live in them, or use them to help build the wall. Homeless would a purpose and no longer be homeless, weekly contests and prizes for the most wacks. Everyone is happy and the border is more secure. Alachua County could be a national known county that cares about the homeless and the security of our country.
I fully support the reintroduction of shanty towns in society, and I hate what it will turn into under the direction of local bureaucrats.
Deal with the homeless by giving them a FREE police escorted trip to the county line of their choice.
Another serious problem City Commissioners and now SOME County Commissioners have is they want to pretend they are the professionals/experts on how to deal with a Complex Homeless Problem – rather than looking at Homeless Centers that are SUCCESSFUL.
Example: Sulzbacher Homeless Center in Jacksonville has a proven record of returning more people back into independent living – with COMPASSION – than any other homeless shelter in the country – because they have PROFESSIONALS who require RESIDENCY requirements and Police Clearances, appropriate rules/requirements (like treatment for addiction, mental illness etc.) – AND care about protecting the SAFETY of their homeless clients, their staff and being Fiscally Responsible with Taxpayers Money and being EFFECTIVE.
I served on the City’s Homeless Task Force in 2003 and many of us, after extensive research and visiting Sulzbacher’s facility, recommended that the City model Grace after them.
Oh no, the City Commission and the two grant writers they put in place to manage Grace all thought they knew better and went with a so-called “Low Barrier” approach – little to now rules or requirements – creating a MAGNET for the people to come from all over the state and country to receive FREE services off the backs of GRU customers and taxpayers.
As predicted – Grace Marketplace’s reckless model has turned into a Costly and Dangerous Homeless Enabling Center – at the hands of the Majority on the Gainesville City Commission.
Sounds very interesting Town and I looked up the center in Jax. A much more comprehensive program to help the homeless than what most commenters here advocate, who would rather have them punished for ruining their view at intersections, and surprising to me in a city like Jax.
https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2022/06/29/jacksonville-city-council-gives-zoning-approval-for-new-sulzbacher-mens-homeless-center/
What is the vetting process for the recipients of these new housing units?
Who is responsible for repairs and maintenance?
Who pays the utility bills (and will that be tallied per residence, or just one big meter for the whole development to be paid by taxpayers)?
What are the parameters for remaining in these units-what responsibilities will the residents have?
Are the disabled prioritized?
How long can one stay in these units – is this a hand up? Or a hand out?
How difficult will it be to evict troublemakers/bad neighbors?
Are these units fully furnished? Or do the residents contribute that part?
Who will be monitoring the safety of the development and upkeep of these investments?
I wanted to add…it may seem as though commenters here just don’t care about the homeless, and I guess in some cases that may be true.
But for most of us, the concern is that these attempts at solving the homelessness that is so pervasive these days, even if well intentioned, have serious consequences, like incentivizing the irresponsible decisions that lead to homelessness in the first place, and leading to even more homeless.
Some people really cannot take care of themselves. Family should help there first, and if that safety net fails, then society should help those. If they physically cannot work, then disability. If they are mentally ill, then we need to rethink institutional options and make those safe and compassionate. If they are addicted, then they need a housing option free of addictive substances (institutional options) until they dry out, then they need to take care of themselves.
If someone can work, but refuses to, then no housing, no food, no free transportation…consequences for bad decisions are difficult to watch, but necessary. Better for people, better for society. Coddling irresponsible adults doesn’t work any better than coddling irresponsible children. Being a productive citizen doesn’t just happen…good habits have to be taught and reinforced.
I’m all for mentoring those who weren’t taught the habits and values that lead to productive choices. I’m all for coaching programs that help prepare people for job interviews, training for new skills, etc.
But handouts to those who are not willing to invest in the process is an abuse of taxpayers who get up every day and do the next right thing.
Here’s the web site of the center in Jax that Town Crier mentioned Mom and it appears to be a comprehensive help center that has been operating since the 90’s with at least some success.
https://sulzbacherjax.org/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA6KWvBhAREiwAFPZM7k1LOVW2-_gVw9wbWzayR4rW1m51Gp5YgRiaGqHxlqbTMfO2bys_OBoC2VYQAvD_BwE
It’s a great idea. This will make it much easier to ship them to California.
I have lived this first hand in Santa Fe, NM which is a sanctuary city. It is an utter mess and disgraceful what has transpired there in the last few years. There are kind hearted people that want solutions but sadly do not understand the difference between enablement and empowerment. What is the incentive if any to move into being a productive member of the community? Are there programs to assist these “unhoused” people with addiction issues and find work so they can provide for themselves? Show us the follow through actions that are necessary for this project to have a positive outcome for all concerned. Maybe then, this experiment could be met with more support.