Florida asked readers this week today. “Should Brevard County and its cities do more to curb homelessness on the Space Coast?”
Here’s what the voters said:
Over 83% of online voters in our informal, unscientific online voting were selected. “Yes. I’ll do more.”
Only 9% chose “No, we’re way too much.” An additional 6.55% chose “We’re good at our current efforts.”
Just over 1% of the votes, they were chosen as “I don’t care/It doesn’t matter to me.”
Some of the comments left behind (some edited by length):
“I vote for Brevard and its municipalities need to do more, but that shouldn’t be interpreted as to whether they can or should do anything to make homelessness illegal. Aside from lands endemic to this purpose, I am chasing other communities.
Pamela (Last name not given)
“Let all these local developers donate dorm-style buildings to house the homeless. Staff with social workers. Take these people out of the streets and get them to the necessary Give them help. Sometimes food or showers don’t help. The right place to live so that they can reunite in society.”
Pete Gardner
“We want to hide the homeless population, but we don’t provide alternatives, housing, toilets, shower facilities. This is not something that’s gone. It’s all over the world.”
Joseph (Last name not given)
“The data on its causes are similar to best practices from successful programs elsewhere, so there are categories, so no family members have lost their homes in disasters or have lost their homes for work. Loss, Substance abusers with family members are no longer interested in dealing with the issue, victims of domestic violence with or without children, etc. Affordable sanitary housing is at least half off the streets.”
Carol Townsend
“I’m not safe around homeless people. Most are harmless, but I know where they went after a series of bike thefts in nearby neighborhoods. I’m trying to avoid them, especially homeless people. It had to be detoured to oncoming cars on his bike and hung on the handlebars along the way in my lane, which was extremely dangerous!”
Judy (Last name not given)
Brevard is overdone. Check Google Brevard Homeless Resources for Yourself and how many options are displayed. That’s one of the reasons why there’s a record-breaking homelessness here. The more services offered, the more attracted homelessness… Finally, the homeless population always swells in Florida in the winter when the actual annual number is skewed. To get an average, the time points need to be counted in the middle of summer. Otherwise, winter influx will be based on resource needs. ”
Linda (Last name not given)
“I have lived in Brevard County since 1980 and the homeless situation has increased significantly: mental instability, financial crisis, substance abuse, affordability of housing for low-income workers, unemployment/layoffs; Foreclosure by abandonment What we see in our community is to have the county buy large land and place a central building that holds the professional service providers needed to help people. It’s back to their feet… The land surrounding a small home may have a community garden that provides the majority of people using the service. Healthy eating and self-sufficient How to provide food for others is to contribute to the same community that has requirements and rules for living in such a community, and therefore is giving them the help. It is a victory… Homeless By supporting the hopeless and hungry people make hopeless choices, it reduces crime and often does not work for those who experience the consequences of that type of despair.
Georgette McWilliams
