Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/149186
Sarasota News Leader August 9 & 16, 2013 can be utilized every month for the next year, so people can transition from the Salvation Army's programs — with financial assistance — to their own abodes. "We're confident the community will help us find them," he said. Page 10 All of these changes were conveyed piecemeal as Frizzell made brief presentations and then responded to questions. "What about women?" led to the discussion of a new shelter with showers. "Why $10 a night?" led to the While the organization's facility in Sarasota rainy-day rate changes, and then the overall can sleep in excess of 300 people, more than change to $7 per night. half of those beds are taken by individuals enFrizzell is new to this post. Although a 20-year rolled in a variety of programs encouraging sobriety and self-reliance. Affordable housing veteran of the Salvation Army, he has had less for them could free up more room for vagrants than a month at his latest assignment in Sarasota. Meanwhile, the issue of homelessness and the homeless. and vagrancy has risen to the top of the polit"We need an affordable housing rate with sin- ical agenda. gle-room occupancy," he pointed out, noting that European cities for decades have used Sarasota's relatively new city manager condormitory-style facilities with sliding-scale siders it a significant civic challenge. The rents to move people off the streets and into Community Alliance of Sarasota County has productive lives. formed a new committee chaired by former "Do we need another shelter?" he asked. "Yes, Sarasota Police Capt. Paul Sutton to tackle we do, for the other 1 percent." While the term the issue. And community activists are seek"1 percent" was popularized to describe the ing to hire Robert Marbut, a national expert nation's wealthiest plutocrats, the "other 1 on handling homelessness and vagrancy probpercent" has come into use as a reference to lems. people at the lowest rung of the economic ladder. "It might only need 20 to 50 beds, maybe," Into this turbulent mix, Frizzell launched Frizzell said of a new shelter, "for people who himself and his organization Wednesday in a just don't want to participate [in Salvation search for new approaches. Cutting the daily rate is only the beginning. % Army programs]." A homeless person sleeps in Five Points Park last summer. Photo by Norman Schimmel