LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. — The new state law that bans outdoor sleeping, also set aside money for counties to help people find shelter.
"We're not ending homelessness for $300,000," Mike Overway said Lee County got that amount from the state.
He's the Executive Director of the SWFL Regional Coalition to End Homelessness and with local shelters near or at full capacity, it raises the question, if they can't camp outside, where should people experiencing homelessness go?
Overway said, "I don't think we need a mass shelter. I think we need a sheltering project that is really addressing the specific populations but has very targeted rapid resolution."
He suggested creating a thirty bed shelter for homeless seniors or veterans but that's going to cost more than $300,000. He added it would be perfect in an area like Lehigh, where the community needs more resources.
However, it wouldn't address the larger issue that more people need help, Overway said.
Find out the local organizations ideas to help solve homelessness in Community Correspondent Ella Rhoades' report:
"This last year, my agency served more teachers, police officers and nurses with both homeless prevention and rapid rehousing than we had in our thirty year history. We need to have an infrastructure that supports the folks that take care of us," he explained.
Every day the coalition receives around forty calls from someone experiencing homelessness requesting assistance.
Overway said the community needs more options for affordable housing at different income levels, and the non-profit The Real Estate Foundationhelps people buy a house, no matter their economic background.
The Real Estate Foundation co-founder Prestine Akiboh said, "Everyone needs a home. People need to feel like they belong."
They are an affordable housing developer that first started in Tampa and now are bringing their services to Southwest Florida.
However, Overway said non-profits can't do all the work when it comes to solving homelessness.
Businesses in the private sector will have to play a part in the solution too.
"What is the responsibility of our private sector? I think some of that comes down to are they going to be willing to hire people who have been displaced?," he asked.
SWFL Regional Coalition to End Homelessness also works with local realtors and landlords to set up shared housing as another way to keep people off the street.
Overway said the new state law has sparked a conversation and more people need to come to the table to find a solution, that's humane.
"When our state legislature says that they want to approach ending homelessness very quickly, but they want to do it with compassion, they need to stick to that," Overway said.
Find out more on the resources available at SWFL Regional Coalition to End Homelessness here.
