ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — St. Augustine commissioners approved the first major step to open a homeless day shelter in the city. It would include food, shower, and resources.
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On Monday, commissioners approved swapping a piece of city-owned land for the property where the shelter will be built at the corner of State Road 207 and South Dixie Highway.
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The idea for a day center was discussed during the city’s first of several public discussions with community members about the homeless concerns. A survey is also gathering feedback from neighbors (City seeks input for creating strategic plan to address unsheltered homelessness Survey (surveymonkey.com)).
“I’m really excited about it, I think it’s great having a one stop hub so they don’t have to run all over town and it’s long overdue,” Ellen Walden, executive director at Home Again St. Johns, said.
She’s one of several resources across the county offering help, but there’s no spot for them to meet with those in need.
The city said the homeless population is up 33% over last year and there’s about 430 total people experiencing homelessness.
“It’s huge. It’s not only huge for us — but across the nation. We’re not on an island here,” Barry Fox, the city’s homeless liaison, said. “But we’re a smaller city so we’re dealing with a smaller population. But it was time for us to move the needle on our efforts.”
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Fox said the city is still early on in discussions and does not have a timeline or projected cost for the construction.