Homeless policy reversed again
 
April 2, 1999
  Homeless policy reversed again
 


Homeless again allowed to sleep in parks
Homeless activist wants signs to curb giving to panhandlers
Group feeds homeless, defies Lauderdale codes
Publishers of paper for homeless fight to save it
Broward to use vans to reach out to homeless
 Fort Lauderdale's homeless pack up, leave Tent City
 No improprieties, but center needs to raise more money
 By the numbers: Who is homeless in Broward County?
buttnret.gif (286 bytes) Lauderdale sends tents into the past as homeless warm to new shelter
buttnret.gif (286 bytes) Tent City's residents begin moving into new homeless shelter
buttnret.gif (286 bytes) At new homeless center, open house, open hearts
buttnret.gif (286 bytes) Broward orders audit of homeless shelter
buttnret.gif (286 bytes) Congressman protests county's homeless grant
buttnret.gif (286 bytes) Homeless advocates stunned by grant cut
buttnret.gif (286 bytes) Woman organizes dinner to help homeless
buttnret.gif (286 bytes) Broward commission OKs plan for homeless shelter in Pompano
buttnret.gif (286 bytes) Helping homeless becomes easier with new furniture, equipment, supplies
buttnret.gif (286 bytes) Fort Lauderdale cracking down on services for homeless
buttnret.gif (286 bytes) North Broward County disagrees over location of homeless shelters
buttnret.gif (286 bytes) Miami settles lawsuit over harassment of the homeless


buttnret.gif (286 bytes) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Homelessness
buttnret.gif (286 bytes) U.S. Homelessness and Housing Resources
buttnret.gif (286 bytes) The National Coalition for the Homeless: Fact sheet
buttnret.gif (286 bytes) Florida Coalition for the Homeless
buttnret.gif (286 bytes) Health Care for the homeless directory: South and central Florida

 
By BRAD BENNETT Staff Writer

       FORT LAUDERDALE -- The city on Thursday backtracked on a policy that would have allowed homeless people to sleep in city parks on nights when the new Homeless Assistance Center is full.

   The policy shift means that no one can stay in the parks after they close each night.

  "Our intentions are to fully enforce the park rules," said Pete Witschen, an assistant city manager.

   With the center near capacity in recent weeks, Police Chief Michael Brasfield had told officers in a March 18 memo that curfews in city parks would be suspended any night the center stopped taking in homeless people.

   The policy angered many residents, who flooded City Hall with complaints.

    But just as many people called in to support allowing homeless people to sleep in parks, Mayor Jim Naugle said.

   "It's good that homeless people won't be able to sleep in parks," said Mark Ketcham, president of the Victoria Park Civic Association. "This should keep the parks safer and keep petty vandalism and crime down."

   Thursday's decision by the city followed a telephone conference between Witschen, Brasfield and City Attorney Dennis Lyles. After the conference, Witschen said the chief's memo was "based on some incomplete research and incomplete information."

    City Commissioner Carlton Moore agreed with the decision, saying that if taxpayers can't use the park, neither should homeless people who don't pay taxes. "When the park is closed, the park is closed," Moore said. "Nobody should be in it. I don't think that this is targeted at any particular population. It's enforcing the parks' rules."

   He said there are numerous facilities in the city for homeless people, including the Homeless Assistance Center, The Salvation Army and another homeless shelter on Northwest 19th Street.

   So far, there has been only one night since the Homeless Assistance Center opened Feb. 1 that it said it would not take any more people.

   Monday, the center will open 40 more beds to single men and women.
   Center officials have bought more beds, allowing them to use the center's full capacity of 200, said Ezra Krieg, spokesman for the center. The center now has more than 200 beds, but 40 of them are in the family unit, which has not opened, partly out of concern that single men will wander into the same area as children.

   The family unit will remain closed with the 40 beds in it until the center can improve security there, Krieg said.

   He said the controversy over homeless people in the parks had nothing to do with the center's decision to buy new beds. "We bought additional beds to allow us to get the center to be as flexible as possible," Krieg said, adding that center officials realized most of their clients were single men, not children. "We had already planned to do this."

 

Sun-SentinelCopyright 1999, Sun-Sentinel Co. and South Florida Interactive, Inc.

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