Solutions sought for city's homeless residents

CRESTVIEW — A City Council workshop on Monday focused on the plights of homeless individuals and how the community can help.

Councilman J.B. Whitten invited four speakers, as well as public input, on how to address the problems homeless people face. Whitten intends to form a community resource committee for the city to address the situation.

“Going to the different churches and seeing what they’re doing is awesome,” Whitten said in response to church programs such as weather shelters and soup kitchens. However, he expressed concern that the matter is too great for lone individuals or groups to tackle and requires a coordinated effort led by the city.

“Individuals can get burned out and programs go away, but not the problems,” he said.

Those problems extend beyond homeless people seen downtown or on local roads.

Community activist David Booher described homeless camps that exist in various wooded sites. Approximately 100 people live in six known camps, according to Booher.

Booher detailed issues faced by a man who had been Baker Acted 27 times but lacked the medical care to get out of his situation.

“We have in our community a need for proper medical care,” Booher said. “This isn’t just a city problem, it’s a community problem.”

Scheduled speakers included Ann Sprague of the Crestview Area Shelter for the Homeless, Sarah Yelverton of the Homeless and Housing Alliance, Fort Walton Beach City Manager Michael Beedie and Dawn Butler of Our Lady of Victory Catholic Care Center.

Each speaker discussed homeless initiatives from their respective group or agency.

Barron Evans, a former Crestview resident now residing in Niceville, called on the city to build a dedicated shelter with set regulations to manage the homeless situation.

Currently, cold-weather shelters and food kitchens are solely operated by various churches in Crestview.

Beedie discussed during his presentation a multi-phase plan in Fort Walton Beach to develop a group of facilities to provide shelter to displaced veteran services, cold-weather relief, homeless women and children and a resource center.

While Crestview has no such plan, the workshop provided invaluable information to city leaders, according to Whitten.

“Thank you for opening our eyes to a lot of issues many didn’t know about,” Mayor David Cadle said after the presentations.

Councilman Shannon Hayes encouraged residents and his colleagues to pressure Okaloosa County commissioners for additional assistance in providing homeless care.

Finally, the city agreed to house a donation box at City Hall for Crocheted Mats for the Homeless. The organization recycles plastic shopping bags into sleeping mats.

The group has expanded rapidly in recent months and enlists over 500 volunteers, according to founder Debbie Barberee.

Contact Crestview Councilman J.B. Whitten at jbwhitten@cityofcrestview.com for suggestions on how to improve the quality of life for the local homeless.

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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Solutions sought for city's homeless residents