On Apr. 20, 2015, DSCA President spoke before the City Commission in support of the City Manager Barwin 8-Point Plan on Chronic Homelessness.  We stated our support using excerpts from the Barwin report, “The report on Chronic Homelessness presented by City Manager Barwin at the Sarasota City Commission meeting on April 6, provided an extremely helpful survey of the background and multiple causes of our current situation.  It also speaks to the diversity of types of ‘persons without homes’, and the multiple actions we must take to work with those different needs.  The Barwin report, with strong analysis and statistics gathered from our Homeless Outreach Team, provides a very strong rationale for taking action now.” … “As we have in the past, the DSCA is committed to work with the City Manager and staff to find ways to achieve the goals laid out in these 8 Action Items.  We will work with our member associations to help ‘rally to effectively respond to this challenge following a prudent and locally guided path’.”

As one of the first steps of the 8-Point Plan, City Manager hired Doug Logan on June 5^th as the Director, Special Initiative on Chronic Homeless.  One month later, Doug Logan gave his first Chromic Homeless Update report to the City Commission on July 6^th.  In that report he referenced a community led alternative, “A group of stakeholders, calling themselves the CEO Group, has developed and made public a proposal that they are calling the ‘3 into 1’ plan.”

At the City Commission meeting on July 20^th, the Commissioners discussed the letter from the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) where they requested support of a 24/7 Public Safety Triage and Stabilization Facility for homeless adults.  City Manager Barwin stated that Staff has begun to research some of the alternatives which are included in the County’s letter to the Commission and met briefly with representatives from The Salvation Army and Resurrection House (Resurrection House), Inc.; that the Resurrection House Board has not considered any specific relationships, engagement or partnerships yet; that The Salvation Army has committed to working closely with the City in whatever strategic direction the City takes.  Mr. Doug Logan stated that his recommendation is for the Commission not to accept or reject any one of the options; that the Commission should clearly articulate the City’s statement of principles and encourage a dialogue as long as the BCC understands the City’s principles and not get into choosing one option over the over.  Staff are to draft a letter to the BCC expressing the City’s views to open communication and a dialogue to create partnerships which is truly a necessity

August 17th, 2015