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An unfunded mandate
We have a packed newsletter with a variety of news and information, but I want to talk about homelessness in light of new legislation.
A law that will take effect on October 1st has local governments, including Palm Beach County, looking for ways to respond to its impacts. House Bill 1365 was signed by the Governor in March. The legislation prohibits local governments from allowing any person to regularly engage in public camping or sleeping on public property. The bill mandates that local governments enforce certain restrictions on sleeping or camping on public property, and it provides for civil action against local governments that fail to comply with the bill's provisions. It requires Palm Beach County to spend additional resources to comply with the bill's requirements, including creating new shelter spaces or designated camping areas. But the bill does not provide any funding to do so and, therefore, is an unfunded mandate.
On Tuesday, September 24th, the County held a workshop to hear from staff and discuss how to respond to the new set of regulations (click here to watch). During the meeting staff clarified what the law does and does not do. They provided data showing that the number of people living on the street has been on the rise over the past three years. When talking about the root causes of homelessness, staff identified housing costs as the main driver of homelessness. Palm Beach County and its network of community partners provide a continuum of care that includes a variety of services depending on the needs of the person or family; they include homeless prevention, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing. Homelessness and homeless prevention are funded by federal and local dollars, with the state of Florida contributing just one percent.
Homelessness is a complex issue with many different faces. It's important to understand that the stereotype of a mentally ill person living on the street represents only a fraction of the homeless population. Homelessness affects a diverse range of individuals and families, each with their own unique circumstances.
One growing demographic facing homelessness is senior citizens. For the first time in their lives, many of them find themselves homeless due to fixed incomes that can't keep up with rising housing costs and medical expenses. These individuals often struggle silently, embarrassed by their situation and unsure how to navigate support systems they've never needed before.
Roughly one in four homeless people are over the age of 55. Though this is only anecdotal, our office has seen a sharp increase in the number of senior women needing help because of rent increases and special assessments for their condo that they cannot afford. To help seniors facing these special assessments, the board talked at the workshop about designating dollars to help residents stay in their homes. Gregg is supportive of the idea of helping seniors stay in their homes, but he made clear that he does not support letting the state off the hook. The state created legislation that allowed people to live in condos for decades without building adequate reserves, and then added costly inspection and reserve funding requirements following the condo collapse in Surfside. During the workshop, the board asked staff to do additional research and bring back a plan to help struggling condo owners through a low-interest loan fund. The Florida legislature will likely be holding a special session before the year’s end to address reforms to help condo owners.
During the workshop, staff gave an historical overview of homeless services and spoke about different ways homelessness is counted, as well as the cost of resources devoted to chronically homeless persons, which is around $35,000 – $45,000 per person per year (emergency room visits, arrests, and jail stays). As a community, we save money when we are able to house this group. The key to breaking the cycle of homelessness is housing - or what homeless advocate Ezra Krieg, who spoke at the meeting, referred to as “heads in beds”. The county has several homeless resource centers and works with non-profits, faith-based groups, and landlords to find shelter for those in need. At the same time, the county is looking to expand the availability of temporary and permanent housing in a variety of ways, including by using cottage homes and pre-constructed units.
Also during the workshop, Gregg asked about an item that came up the week before when the board authorized county staff to pursue negotiations to purchase the La Quinta Hotel, located near Okeechobee Boulevard and the Turnpike. Because this is in our district and it could affect our constituents in surrounding neighborhoods, including Century Village, Gregg wanted to understand how the property would be used in the event that the county is able to acquire the hotel. Staff explained that they would like to use the property for single-room occupancy, primarily for senior residents. To be clear: the converted hotel would not be a homeless resource center that takes people off the street; it would provide stable but unhoused adults with a more permanent place to live. The proposed use of the hotel should allay fears from Century Village residents who contacted us concerned about a potential rise in crime.
As of this writing it’s not clear if the county will even be able to obtain the hotel, but as we previously told Century Village residents: “This is still in the preliminary stages. We will make sure to keep Century Village residents apprised of what happens next. If the County acquires the property, we will hold a town hall meeting at Century Village to explain what’s going on to residents, and answer questions and address concerns.”
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