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

DSCA sponsored a forum on Homelessness as part of the 2015 DSCA Annual Members Meeting on March 25, 2015 with an overflow audience at the Herald Tribune community room.  This forum, titled: The Homeless in Sarasota – Positive Happenings and Obstacles to Navigate included the following panelsists, along with Peter Fanning as moderator:

• Tom Barwin, City Manager, City of Sarasota
• Bernadette DePino, Chief, Sarasota Police Department
• Leslie Loveless, Executive Director, Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness
• Kevin Cooper, VP Public Policy, Sarasota Chamber of Commerce
• Major Ethan Frizzell, Co-Commander, Salvation Army Sarasota Area Command

March 25th, 2015

Peter Fanning with Board support is working to extend the influence of DSCA by working with other Downtown Groups, Associations and Resident Members to improve the quality of life for Downtown Residents. With the help of the Downtown Sarasota Alliance (DSA) and especially the Plaza at Five Points and 100 Central Condominium Associations and their residents, Peter has been advocating for more police presence downtown, supporting the implementation of new safety ordinances, enforcing existing ordinances and establishing programs of assistance for people who are unable or unwilling to comply with simple rules of social order.

The Plaza and 100 Central have been instrumental in assisting organizations providing food on a regular basis to persons who are homeless in locations that are better suited for such an activity than Selby Five Points Park. The DSCA has been meeting with representatives of this effort to assure that such relocations are in the best interests of the residents and the homeless as well. The cooperation and open dialogue taking place is a great change according to Peter Fanning, from previous efforts, and already residents and visitors are seeing the changes for the better take place.

January 1st, 2014

The DSCA Board is supporting and providing public input at the City Commission Meetings in support of several new ordinances and policies including a ban on smoking. Elsie Souza of 100 Central and Parks Advisory Board Member appeared at the April 4 City Commission Meeting to support the Parks Advisory Board’s recommendation for a NO SMOKING POLICY in all city parks. DSCA also encouraged the City Commission to accept this policy as well as expand it to include all adjacent sidewalks to the parks. The City Commission agreed.

Although the DSCA recognizes that in some instances this will be a difficult policy to enforce, it is committed to working with the Sarasota City Police Department in cleaning up the City while making it a healthier place to live.

Also, in the works, based on a petition signed by many of our residents and supported by the DSA as well, is a proposed ordinance to establish procedures and written policies for groups who want to provide food for the homeless in the downtown area. The new ordinance would require that any such group would need to get a permit if they expect to have more than 12 people participate in the feeding activity, and that each group would be limited to three permits per year.

Finally, the DSCA is working with its member condominium associations in the Selby Five Points Park area to make sure that benches are available in the park and throughout other areas of the City for visitors and residents to use. The City, at the request of some of the DSCA member associations, has been removing benches in an effort to reduce the impact of persons who practically camp out on the benches to the exclusion of residents and visitors. The position of the DSCA that has been accepted by other groups is that the benches are an amenity that are available to all persons and that residents through the responsible use of their tax dollars want to have such amenities available.

However, because the present situation has become intolerable and is creating a security issue for downtown residents, the DSCA has agreed to promote the removal of the three remaining benches at Selby Five Points Park for a period of three months. During the three months, the DSCA will work with other groups to establish enforceable policies that promote  the use of benches and other amenities in a socially responsible manner. At the conclusion of the three-month period, the DSCA will work with downtown associations and representative to put the benches back in place.

January 1st, 2012

If one of your New Year’s resolutions includes reducing the clutter by cleaning out the garage or storage area and you come across bicycles that are no longer used, consider a donation to Bicycles for the Homeless Inc. This organization seeks bicycles in any condition to be reconditioned and upgraded for safety, if necessary. The bicycles are then provided to homeless adults and children as transportation to jobs, interviews, school and the like. Check them out at www.BicyclesForTheHomeless.org.

November 24th, 2010

The DSCA has heard you, its members, and has taken the initiative to address the accommodation of those persons who are homeless in the downtown area.

Harry Chororos, President of the Sarabande Condominium Association, has agreed to Chair the DSCA’s Sub-Committee on Persons Who Are Homeless. Soon after, realizing how pervasive and complex this issue is, it was agreed that Harry would Chair a joint committee of the DSCA and DSA (Downtown Sarasota Alliance) so that we can all use our resources more effectively. Harry, Peter Fanning and Mary Anne Servian have been active in meeting with the many stakeholders who have knowledge and expertise in trying to improve the quality of life of the homeless population and the residents/visitors of Downtown Sarasota. This activity is a priority for many of the DSCA’s members and we will be putting considerable effort in trying to come up with a workable plan.

August 23rd, 2010