JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville city leaders were updated on the progress of a City Council-approved program that aims to help those experiencing homelessness.
Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department Chief Keith Powers and Capt. Jen Parramore shared a presentation with the committee during a 9:30 a.m. meeting Wednesday at City Hall.
Since JFRD launched the “Providing Assistance to the Homeless” program last year, also known as PATH, the city has seen a decrease in the number of people who were experiencing homelessness.
“So far, we’ve had numbers that are starting to show a difference in the downtown area and in some of the other areas of town that we’re working,” Powers said. “The Riverside area’s got some issues, there are some issues on the Westside. There are some issues up on the Northwest side. It’s just, you know, it takes time to get in a city this big, to get out and work.”
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The seven-person team, made up of JFRD members, works one-on-one with unhoused individuals to connect them with resources and shelter.
The team tackles the issue of homelessness amid a Florida law that bans people without homes from sleeping outdoors overnight in public places.
Since November, PATH has helped over 100 men and women. Additionally, 150 people have chosen the home-bound program to return to their hometowns.
“We’ve had a lot of families actually out on the streets since we started. We’ve had at least 10 children have been in need of shelter with their mothers either coming from an abuser, or just following on hard times,” Parramore said. “I had a gentleman call for service that came in through 630-CITY, and we were able to help this gentleman get all of his belongings, his bicycle, and plug him into Trinity, and he’s now in the 90-day program, striving, working on getting a job, and he was so grateful to all of us, all the help that we’ve given him.”
The program faces challenges with 90 percent of its interactions involving people from outside the area.
“We got a lot of work ahead of us to continue to work throughout the city. You know, when you’re talking about 840, square miles, it’s a lot of work for for her team to do and JSO to do,” Powers said. “As she identifies specific needs, the homeless initiatives commission is working on a long-term plan to present to council on long-term solutions.”
As the program continues to grow, the team hopes to expand to the beaches.