JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Downtown Jacksonville’s homeless camp has grown over the past several weeks as word got out about resources available to help. The camp started in early February after the city used CARES Act Funding to pay for 48 people to move into hotels for 30 days.
On Tuesday, a temporary shelter will go up for 30 days after the ”tent city” is cleared and fenced up.
Volunteers on the site said a majority of people are from the immediate Jacksonville area. However, they added that several have come from surrounding counties.
“We’re seeing people from clear across the country all the way from California. Some are coming from Camden County, Georgia, to be here and get the benefits from the programs we offer,” Brennan Reed, a community activist, said.
Action News Jax uncovered a local program that aims to get people back home. Homeward Bound is part of a partnership between the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and Sulzbacher.
If an officer identifies a homeless person who has moved to Jacksonville within the past six months, but has a friend or family elsewhere, they could qualify for a bus ticket back home.
A case worker with Sulzbacher will call and confirm the address and make sure the individual can stay there.
The program started a few years ago and is funded by JSO.
In a statement, they said, “The program is for persons without residence who are stranded in the Jacksonville area and do not have the necessary means to return to their destination. This is a voluntary program and is not used in lieu of charges nor affected by criminal history.”
In the program’s history, it has helped up to 100 homeless families.