Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/352007
Sarasota's seasonal homeless are gone now. The summer heat and evening mosquitos are strong deterrents to living outside. But as the first snows of winter creep south as they did this year, so will the vagrants and homeless. In six months, it is highly likely the problem will be as bad or worse than it was this winter and the winter before that. In other words, with the shelter plan in ruins, how will the county handle the next winter wave? The City and County commissions are in the midst of their budget deliberations, and neither is setting aside the resources neces- sary to build and staff any kind of facility for homeless and vagrant people. BALL IN COUNTY'S COURT The months-long city-county discussion regarding how to address homelessness and vagrancy displayed two entirely different ways governments make decisions. The county is responsible for health and human services and the Health Department, and it provides millions in grants for local social service agencies. Florida cities do not take such action or offer such services. The county does have the people and sys- tems in place to provide for another social assistance agency. It also is responsible for criminal justice facilities, including the jail. At any one time, it is estimated that more than one-fifth of the jail population comprises homeless people or vagrants, making the jail a very expensive shelter. The city, by contrast, has no jail and no social service budget. It has spent more than $100,000 this year on the consultant and has created a three-person Homeless Outreach Team now working the streets. While the Homelessness consultant Robert Marbut presents his recommendations during a joint meeting of the City and County commissions on Nov. 25, 2013. Photo by Norman Schimmel Sarasota News Leader July 25, 2014 Page 45