Written by John P. “Jack” SeilerMayor, City of Fort Lauderdale
Marianne Mansfield’s column “If I am homeless” misses the mark when it comes to Fort Lauderdale.
Instead of investigating what our community is doing to help the homeless, she is content to repeat the same, tired, inaccurate mantra that Fort Lauderdale is somehow a city unwilling “to treat the homeless with dignity and compassion.” That simply isn’t true.
Let’s bring some much-needed perspective to this issue. Had Ms. Mansfield done her homework, she would have found that Fort Lauderdale’s ordinance does not ban feeding the homeless or sharing food in public. It does not limit who can feed the homeless or how often the homeless can be fed. It expands the number of authorized locations where feedings can take place and sets reasonable guidelines to ensure these activities are carried out under safe, sanitary, and healthy conditions.
Had Ms. Mansfield done more research, she would have known that Fort Lauderdale applauds the work being done by 90-year-old Arnold Abbott and other volunteers who want to feed the homeless and that we encourage them to continue their mission. In fact, the City has made a good faith effort to work with Mr. Abbott. We offered him two alternative feeding locations within blocks of his current site that met all of the requirements of the ordinance. Disappointingly, he rejected both of our offers.
Had she dug a little deeper, Ms. Mansfield would have discovered a much different Fort Lauderdale than the one she describes in her column.
She would have found that Fort Lauderdale is working with more than 40 agencies, non-profit, charitable and faith-based organizations that are part of the Broward County Continuum of Care, a community partnership that allocates over $20 million annually for homeless assistance.
She would have found that Fort Lauderdale is the only city in South Florida and one of only 235 communities nationwide participating in the 100,000 Homes Campaign, an initiative that is providing the chronically homeless with rent free permanent housing, along with daily visits by social workers who provide critical guidance and resources to address a wide range of mental health, substance abuse, and medical issues.
She would have found that Fort Lauderdale was the first and remains the only city in Broward County that offers a full service comprehensive Homeless Assistance Center, which was recently expanded to provide additional beds, meals, programs and social services.
She would have found that Fort Lauderdale was the first city in South Florida to establish a Police Homeless Outreach Unit, which currently makes 8,000 referrals a year providing the homeless with access to housing, critical medical care, meals, and social services.
She would have found that Fort Lauderdale maintains an active partnership with Mission United, a program established in our city that is dedicated to providing housing and social services to homeless Veterans.
She would have found that Fort Lauderdale works with and supports an array of organizations dedicated to addressing homelessness, including but not limited to, Broward County, the Broward Partnership for the Homeless, Housing Authority, Salvation Army, United Way, Hope South Florida, the Task Force for Ending Homelessness, Women in Distress, Henderson Behavioral Health, Life Net for Families, and many others.
At the end of the day, Ms. Mansfield would have found that we all want the same thing – to help the homeless. But more and more people are realizing that this challenge extends far beyond Fort Lauderdale, southern Utah, or any other city. It is an important and complex issue that demands comprehensive solutions coordinated with local municipalities, counties, public agencies, not-for-profit and faith-based organizations, along with assistance and support from the state and federal levels.
The cycle of homelessness on the streets of Fort Lauderdale is unacceptable to us. That is why we are committed to doing everything possible to advance long-term comprehensive solutions for the homeless population, including getting the homeless into the right programs, to the appropriate facilities, and to the proper resources necessary to help them turn their lives around.
In the meantime, we are asking groups that are feeding the homeless to meet us halfway. By doing so, we can help ensure that the homeless have an opportunity to eat their meals in a comfortable setting, with tables and chairs to sit at, nice utensils and napkins to use, a place to properly wash up, and, yes, a restroom facility. In other words, in the same kind of place where Ms. Mansfield, no doubt, enjoys her meals every day – and in a manner far more compassionate and dignified than eating on the ground outdoors.
So while we certainly hope Ms. Mansfield never finds herself homeless, she can rest assured that if it were to happen in Fort Lauderdale, we would welcome her with an open heart; embrace her with kindness; care for her with compassion, dignity and love; and do everything in our power to provide her with the comprehensive resources and services she would need to get back on her feet, just as we do for thousands in our community each and every day.
Related Story: If I’m homeless by Marianne Mansfield
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