If the state Legislature puts the kibosh on using gas tax money for homeless programs, it would deliver the second blow of a one-two punch to Broward county's vision of helping as many homeless people as possible back to employment and security.
In December the county learned that it had won only $2.9 million in federal HUD grants, a fraction of the $18.6 million it had requested and less than the previous year.
Then, earlier this week a House committee just barely passed the proposal to allow counties to divert gas tax money to programs for the homeless. Opponents argue the money should go to improve Florida's roads.
Broward legislators have said they will lobby hard and think the tax bill will pass. Said Debby Sanderson of Fort Lauderdale, Broward's only Republican house member: ``It's fine. We have many problems on our streets in Broward County, and some of them have two legs. It's not just cars.''
Homeless advocates here say passage is crucial.
``Without this fund, these precious dollars to help homeless people, the county would be hard-pressed to address the specific needs of each of our 5,000 homeless individuals,'' said Angelo Castillo, director of the county's human services department.
The money would serve as a steady funding stream for programs, mental health services and transitional beds.
Perhaps equally valuable, passing it would show federal funding sources that the community cares about its homeless and perhaps encourage additional funding.
``It's sending a bad message to those who we want to help pay for these services that we're not as serious, we're not as committed as a community to end this problem,'' said Ezra Krieg, resource development director at the new Homeless Assistance Center in Fort Lauderdale. ``They're going to say, `Hey, we're not going to make a commitment to you.' ''
In theory, the county could compensate for the loss of the gas tax funds by allocating money from general funds to help the homeless. The gas tax was expected to generate more than $6 million a year for homeless programs.
But in reality, that money would not have been a guaranteed source of income and that could have hurt Broward's pull among federal grant-givers.
``We need to be able to demonstrate that it's an ongoing source of revenue,'' said Allen Reesor, director of the Broward Outreach Center in Hollywood.
The gas tax would serve as what Castillo characterized as ``the lifeblood'' of Broward's plans to offer the homeless a continuum of services, ranging from emergency shelters to regular follow-ups after clients found employment and housing.
Dennis McCormick, who has spent the past month at Broward Outreach Center, can already see how this program may help him get back on his feet.
A recovering alcoholic and former chef, McCormick wound up on the street. The center offers its clients ``time to get straightened out, to take control of your life and get some place to go with it,'' he said.
In Dade County, a restaurant tax serves as a steady funding stream for programs for the homeless. But homeless advocates in Broward note that the restaurant tax is far from ideal since some municipalities, such as Miami Beach, choose not to participate.
As for those who argue gas tax money should go for transportation services, such as building new roads and bridges, Reesor offers this response: ``This does have to do with transportation in an oblique sort of way. It's under the highways and the roads that people tend to sleep when they're homeless.''
Herald Staff Writer Steve Bousquet contributed to this report.