Studer Community Institute

Pursuing a solution for Pensacola's homeless

June 20, 2014
/ Shannon Nickinson
/ community-dashboard

The question to ask is: Who are we helping? The majority of Pensacola’s homeless are families with children. Is it their numbers we wish to diminish? They are largest demographic of the local homeless population. And the least visible. These are folks who live in cars and cheap motels or double up with friends and family. Or do we aim to reduce the visibility of the chronically homeless, people who fit the image most of us conjure to mind when we think of people who live under bridges, in camps in the woods or are seen panhandling. Streamlining care and reducing the duplication of services for the homeless can be one step toward helping both populations, which often have vastly different needs. Creating a master case manager system to better assess and address needs on a case-by-case basis and a virtual campus integrating all agencies that provide homeless services are other keys to success. Those are some of the conclusions that Nathan Monk reached in a report commissioned by Quint Studer to study the local homeless population and to suggest strategies that may help reduce that population. Monk also serves on the City of Pensacola’s task force on homelessness, which is undertaking a similar goal. The City came under fire this winter after a series of laws related to camping outdoors and using public facilities were seen as targeting the homeless. In an atypically harsh winter, the so-called “blanket ban” -- which prohibited people from covering up when sleeping outdoors -- stirred the social media pot, causing many to view Pensacola as the kind of place that makes blankets illegal in freezing weather. The "blanket ban" was then repealed and the city formed a task force to look at a more broad strategy for dealing with homelessness. The committee meets today. The agenda is here. The City Council also hired Robert Marbut, a former mayor pro-tem of San Antonio, Texas and White House fellow to President George H.W. Bush on the issue of homelessness. His Marbut Consulting works with municipalities to improve services for the homeless and reduce their number. Monk went to San Antonio to see Haven of Hope, one of Marbut’s signature projects. The photos with this story are his. His full report is here. img-474785-mural

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