JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The beaches communities are begging the City of Jacksonville to help with what local leaders call a surge of homelessness in their cities.
Councilmember Rory Diamond (R-District 13), who represents Duval’s beach communities, told Action News Jax as efforts to combat homelessness in the county have ramped up the beaches have seen their homeless populations triple.
“The mayor is really focused on homelessness downtown and has pushed all those homeless camps into the neighborhoods, including here at the beaches,” said Diamond.
Despite the influx, the beaches governments have their hands tied.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Beaches residents pay tax dollars just like any other Duval County resident, but new homelessness programs approved by city council can’t be accessed by the beach communities.
Those include JFRD’s homeless outreach teams and JSO’s Homeward Bound program.
In a letter sent to Mayor Donna Deegan earlier this month, city managers for all three beaches requested the City of Jacksonville enter into a new Interlocal Agreement so the beaches could gain access to the resources.
“Effective collaboration on homelessness services is essential for public safety,” the city managers argued in the letter.
Read: 113-year-old Jacksonville baseball stadium gets $10 million makeover
When we asked Mayor Donna Deegan whether she’d support a new Interlocal Agreement last week, she cautioned it could have unintended consequences.
“I would be willing to entertain any solutions to homelessness, but at the end of the day they’re not always an open and shut case like perhaps some might like to play,” said Deegan.
The mayor’s office added in a statement - it’s in conversation with beaches governments to figure out the best path forward.
“Whether that comes in the form of an agreement with the City of Jacksonville or expansion of existing services is to be determined,” said a spokesperson with the mayor’s office. “The first step is understanding their needs, then we will collaborate on the best path forward.”
Read: 16-Year-Old Suspect Charged With Murder After Shooting Near Westside High School
Diamond said at the end of the day, he wants to ensure his constituents have access to the same resources available to all other Duval taxpayers.
“By pushing the homeless camps out here to the beaches and then saying, oh no, you can’t have any county resources to help the homeless at the beaches to get those camps out, that’s just bad leadership,” said Diamond.
The mayor’s office told Action News Jax it met with Neptune Beach this week to discuss the issue.
Meetings with Jax and Atlantic Beaches are scheduled for next week.
Read: Back to business: Mixed Fillings Pie Shop opening new permanent location in Jacksonville
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
