A plan to move some of Downtown’s homeless population off the streets was announced Wednesday.
Shawn Liu, the Jacksonville case worker for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program, made the presentation to the board of directors of Downtown Vision Inc., the 501c3 funded by Downtown property owners and the City to provide services and advocate for the improvement of the neighborhood.
The initiative is an extension of a federal program that places medically at-risk veterans in apartments and rental homes.
The $75 million HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program combines Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance for homeless veterans with case management and clinical services provided by the Veterans Administration at VA medical centers and community-based outreach clinics.
Liu said a team of volunteers will survey the homeless population Nov. 14-16 beginning at 4 a.m. during what he called “Registry Week.”
“If you’re not in a shelter and you’re on the street or under a bridge, that’s your home. We’re going to comb Downtown and administer a two-page survey to assess medical needs,” said Liu.
He said experience has proven that homeless people more than 62 years old, those who have HIV or AIDS and those who have been homeless for more than six months are most at risk to die because they are homeless.
He said the local program has been designated “100 Homes for Jacksonville” and will provide at least 50 residences for homeless veterans through the VA and the remainder for non-veterans with the assistance of the community.
Sixty-two housing units have been secured already for the local initiative.
“We’re looking for sponsors for 38 homes,” Liu said.
He said the program is based on a national model, the “Community Solutions 100,000 Homes Campaign.” In addition to subsidized housing, it provides medical care, counseling and job training to provide a sustainable solution for a homeless person.
The data from the survey will be evaluated to create a registry of candidates and a priority list. Liu said a community briefing and news conference is scheduled Nov. 18 in the auditorium at AT&T Tower 301.
“Our goal is to house one to five people before Christmas. We’ll get them in a home and then help them learn to be fiscally responsible. Sustainability is the key,” said Liu.
“This is a Downtown initiative. The survey will unveil a pretty concrete number of homeless people Downtown. We can make Downtown a brighter place while addressing the needs of homeless people,” he said.
The program needs volunteers to help conduct the survey and sponsor T-shirts, breakfast and coffee for volunteers. Liu said sponsors also are needed to provide services or help defray costs of moving, furniture and security and utility deposits for the rental residences.
“Our intent is not to concentrate the people in the program and create a slum, but to distribute the participants across the community,” similar to HUD’s Section 8 housing program, he said.
For information, visit www.100homesjax.org.
356-2466