In North Central Florida, about 38 families with children are experiencing homelessness. Against that backdrop, leaders in Gainesville and Alachua County are considering whether unused public facilities could shelter families with nowhere else to go.
At a two-hour session at the United Way office, participants examined whether vacant public buildings could address the issue.
Here's what to know
Representatives from the Alachua County Commission, Gainesville City Commission, Alachua County School Board, Children's Trust of Alachua County, Keys to Home Continuum of Care, and the Taskforce for Ending Homelessness joined the meeting to discuss student and family homelessness, WCJB reported.
Jacob Torner, vice president of the Taskforce for Ending Homelessness, said parents can struggle to stay employed without access to housing, and children in those families may also struggle to attend school regularly and succeed.
A June letter from school board chair Thomas Vu signaled openness to talks about unhoused people staying in empty schools, per the outlet.
Both city and county commissioners have unanimously supported working together to examine underused, publicly funded spaces and consider whether they could meet this urgent need.
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More background
According to Torner, the meeting was an initial conversation.
"We're not coming into this convening saying a particular building needs to become housing or that any particular action needs to be taken," he said, as WCJB noted. "We are, however, asking everyone to come to the table in a collaborative spirit, identify what spaces do exist that taxpayers have already footed the bill for."
What's being done?
Officials from local governments, the school system, and nonprofits considered joint responses.
"This started with a very simple question," Torner said, according to WCJB. "When families and students in our community don't have a stable place to live, the question really is are we making the best possible use of the resources and facilities that our community already has?"
Where can I learn more?
Other communities are trying similar approaches, using existing buildings or small-scale housing to create safe places for unhoused residents.
• Cities are weighing office space conversion as a path to more affordable communal housing.
• In Thousand Oaks, California, a navigation center pairs shelter with services for unhoused residents.
• In Wilmington, North Carolina, officials say tiny homes are helping residents move out of crisis.
• Des Moines, Iowa, approved 54 tiny homes as residents leaving the streets signed leases.
• In Austin, Texas, tiny home villages drew fierce debate even as supporters touted stability.
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