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Homeless in Highlands County
Posted: 26 January 2008 07:07 AM  
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http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2008/jan/26/homeless-highlands-county/?news

Yesterday’s kick-off to this year’s Point-In Time Survey went off without a hitch.  Just from evaluating the first day’s results, we realized that this isn’t an “urban” issue.  They are your family, friends and co-workers.  Single mothers, fathers, children.

About a month ago, I was at Brewsters Coffee House when a transient homeless man was pushing his heavily laden bicycle down US 27.  “Pete” didn’t want to visit the shelter because he was moved to spread the word of God to his fellow homeless. 

After speaking with him for a couple minutes, giving him a care package, a blanket and some water (Thank you Brewsters!) a family pulled into the parking lot and gave him some money for lunch.  It wasn’t much, but it kept him from being hungry that day.  All it takes is a little compassion to brighten a day. 

Please take some time to count your blessings this year, and do everything that you can to help our homeless neighbors.

If you would like to volunteer or become an active participant, please feel free to contact us at 402-0073.

BTW, THANK YOU Gary and Kathy for your good work!

Rich

Richard Reinhardt
Executive Director
Highlands County Coalition for the Homeless, Inc.
155 US Hwy 27 North, Suite 1
Sebring, FL 33870
(863) 402-0073 - Phone
“Don’t almost give… Give!”
http://www.fhrch.org

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Posted: 26 January 2008 11:03 AM  
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As our economy worsens, this is just going to get worse, with more and more homeless. In Tampa, where I lived for five years, they camp out in wooded areas. I am sure that there are camps of homeless people here, too. Many people are only one paycheck away from being homeless.

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Posted: 26 January 2008 11:25 AM  
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thevoiceoftruth - 26 January 2008 11:03 AM

As our economy worsens, this is just going to get worse, with more and more homeless. In Tampa, where I lived for five years, they camp out in wooded areas. I am sure that there are camps of homeless people here, too. Many people are only one paycheck away from being homeless.

Yep, you’re exactly right.  It’s very easy to become homeless these days.  We were told about such a camp yesterday, so secluded that we have to be shown.  Directions arn’t good enough.  In our rural communities, it’s much easier to hide.  Tampa, they’re on the street and you see them.  Here, most are in the woods.

Gary did a wonderful job on reporting this story.  One statistic that I couldn’t get to him in time was the total homeless count for Highlands County over the past five years.

I did some digging and found the following for Highlands County:

2003 - 384
2004 - 1,147
2005 - 508
2006 - 436
2007 - 519

I also have to explain that this count is only as accurate as are able to find these individuals.  2004 was super high because of the hurricanes.  That was the only year we were allowed to include the displaced in with this chronic count.  Keep in mind that these numbers are ‘surveyed chronic homeless only’.  We can easily estimate that this number could very easily be three times higher than this.

Rich

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Posted: 26 January 2008 11:28 AM  
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Oh, and if anyone wants to read the State of Florida Report on Homeless Conditions, please visit this link.  All county information is included in each of the reports.

http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/homelessness/pubs.shtml

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Posted: 28 January 2008 06:55 AM  
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The Highlands County Coalition is the Lead Agency for Florida’s Heartland Rural Consortia for the Homeless, which is a six-county, continuum of care.  This morning, we’re running out to Hardee County to help them get started.

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Posted: 30 January 2008 10:07 PM  
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Yesterday, Anthony, Adrian and Myself met Terri and her volunteer squad down in Lake Placid.  We found many homeless locations towards the outskirts of town that were being utilized and were NOT fit for human habitation. 

Today, I returned to visit Evan Portee at RCMA and Vincent Hill, a coalition board member.  I met a whole slew of wonderful, down to earth people who are doing the best with what they have.  We found some homeless men, including “Robert” who was hitch-hiking to Miami, in search of a better life.  His last ride was two days ago and was dropped off in Winter Haven, and he was slowly making his way through Highlands County.  The night before, he slept in the back of an abandoned car.  We loaded his backpack down with lots of water bottles and some snack food.

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Posted: 30 January 2008 10:08 PM  
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Oh, one more day of counting and we’ve already conducted surveys on 695 homeless in Highlands County.

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Posted: 30 January 2008 10:39 PM  
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I’m sure you know where to find the homeless people but I remember seeing a few living in the woods across the street from Labor Finders a couple of years back. Several would work at the day labor place in the day and sleep in the woods at night. I haven’t been in Sebring in a little while though. I remember reading a while back that a society can be judged by how it takes care of those who cannot take care of themselves. Unfortunately, our society fails and fails miserably in that regard. In my opinion, your efforts are commendable.

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Posted: 31 January 2008 10:03 AM  
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My sister lives on a street behind the gas station next to the high school.  There were a large group of homeless people living in the woods between Fred Wild Elementary and Sebring high school.  The neighborhood she lives in had a lot of crime that could be traced directly to the homeless population living there.  The police would be out there all the time dealing with these homeless drunks and drug addicts.  I am not sure if they still live in those woods or not.  If I had a group of these unwanted hobos living by my house I would not rest until they relocated.  The safety and well being of my family are more important than anything.  I know times are tough and it’s hard to find a job but most of these homeless are thieves, drug addicts and drunks that have chosen the life they lead.  Of course there are exceptions and some people really do need help getting on their feet.  How do you seperate the people that need help from the criminal scum?  I applaud the efforts of the Highlands County Coalition for the Homeless.  It takes a special person to do the job that they do.

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Posted: 01 February 2008 06:41 AM  
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I appreciate your comments and your concerns.  When a person becomes homeless, it’s generally because of any number of major reasons.  Loss of a job (or finanacial resources), substance abuse and mental defect are the main three.  Typically, in chronic homeless populations, (like those near Fred Wild) you will find that they are only being criminal in order to survive.  I’ve met that bunch and I know their various situations.  I have the impression that if they were given some long term help, they wouldn’t be thieves, drug addicts and alcoholics.  Unfortunately, we don’t have any homeless programs in Highlands County that can assist these people.  Sure, there are dual-disorder programs offered through the fantastic people at Tri-County Human Services, but we can’t help establish their treatment until we can develop a residential program.

To answer your question about separating the people tha need help from the criminal scum, you can’t and shouldn’t separate them.  They all need help.  Some more than others.  There isn’t much difference between the services needed for an individual that you described and the mother of two I met the other day.  We’re watching her slowly spiral out of control, and I’ll give her two months before she looses her home, gets arrested (again) and ends up on the streets.

BTW, did you know that one of those “criminal hobo’s” that was living over by the school was once a very successful physician?

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Posted: 01 February 2008 06:46 AM  
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I received a call from Valerie Gilchrist, President of the DeSoto County Homeless Coalition, a member of our Continuum of Care.

DeSoto counted just over 500 individuals.  Highlands County is at about 700.  No reports from Hardee/Glades, Okeechobee or Hardee yet.  Compilation of the surveys will start on February 6th and should be done by the end of the month.

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Posted: 01 February 2008 12:21 PM  
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Highlands County Homeless - 01 February 2008 06:41 AM

BTW, did you know that one of those “criminal hobo’s” that was living over by the school was once a very successful physician?

Please tell the hobo Dr. that if he was the one that stole my 4 year old nephew’s bike that he wants it back.

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Posted: 01 February 2008 05:04 PM  
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Well, if any of these individuals did steal it, you would need to provide the proof of that. 

Secondly, please don’t refer to the homeless as hobo’s.  Big difference, you know.

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Posted: 06 February 2008 10:32 AM  
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I honestly am not trying to insult the homeless in any way.  If you look the word hobo up in the dictionary it is defined as a vagrant.  As you stated before the homeless become homeless because of a variety of reasons including drug addiction, alcoholism and mental illness.  These situations are horrible for the person experiencing them.  The problem is that these unfortunates do not make good neighbors for famalies raising children.  Are there any efforts being made to relocate the homeless camp to a more suitable area?

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Posted: 06 February 2008 06:03 PM  
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My only complaint about using the word “Hobo” is that it really refers to a time and age of when homeless men utilized the railway system in order to jump from one location to another.  The term was used more and more during and after the great depression in the 1930’s when that population exploded.  They have their own language, code and way of life.  Very much different than the homeless of today where almost 1/3 of the population are children and nearly half are family units.  It’s hard to break the “stereotypical” impression of the homeless, and many have a hard time believing that almost anyone can be homeless.

The true definition is someone who doesn’t have a regular place to stay.  If our community had a homeless infrastructure like some of the urban areas, we wouldn’t have a “homeless vagrancy” problem.  Typically, these individuals do keep to themselves, and as a community we should try to help them.  Typically, they would be less trouble if they received services that were beneficial to them.  Food, shelter some clothing, etc… But, the one’s that tend to stay in an area for any extended period of time, sometimes will find themselves getting into trouble because they’ve utilized all we can offer them.  They’re only allowed to stay at the New Testament Mission for up to six days, for example.  The Mission is the only emergency homeless shelter we have in the area, for now.

The Federal Government, mainly US HUD, would like each community to develop a plan to end chronic homelessness by the year 2012.  There are some fundamental issues that make that goal unobtainable.  Mainly funding.  The problems that the City of St. Petersburg faced last year with the “Tent City” at St. Vincent du Paul was nothing compared to some other areas of the county.  So, when Pinellas County finally developed and published their plan to end chronic homelessness, the total figure was through the roof! ( http://tinyurl.com/263ch3 )

Since our community is labeled “Rural” we face many disadvantages:

1.  Lack of adequate financial support. 

2.  Inadequate or a lack of shelter programs.  (Emergency, Transitional and Permanent)

3.  Lack of capital funding initiatives.

4.  Lack of Affordable Housing Solutions.

5.  Benefit service delivery systems.

If we had 1/10th of what our “crowded neighbors to the north” had here in Highlands County, EVERYONE would see a noticeable difference in how we take care of our homeless population.

It is my goal to ensure that Highlands County becomes the model of successful rural homeless solutions.

So, to answer your question, Yes!  We have partnered with another local non-profit organization that will enable us to open a new shelter program in Highlands County.  I do not want to let too much “out of the bag”, but this is a multi-unit facility that will become the first step in solving our homeless issues.  (More to come, I promise!)

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Posted: 06 February 2008 11:24 PM  
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I look forward to reading more about this issue and hope your efforts are successful.

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