City defends fast-track building of KOTS

Florida Keys News

Saturday, November 3, 2012

City defends fast-track building of KOTS

Day-long court hearing sees witnesses on both sides of lawsuit

BY GWEN FILOSA Citizen Staff
gfilosa@keysnews.com

Key West's overnight homeless shelter was designed as a temporary solution to the "emergency situation" that was unfolding in the city about eight years ago, when men and women were forced out of illegal camping areas in the environmentally protected wetlands along South Roosevelt Boulevard. They then moved into public parks and beaches, a circuit court judge heard Friday.

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No homeless....on Marco Island !

Submitted on Mon, 11/05/2012 - 5:48am by none

I just spent 2 weeks on Marco Island. Not once....did I see anyone even remotely resembling a homeless person. Not once! HOW....is that possible? This Mayor and these "non" profits....are pulling the wool over our eyes. There are homeless guys here.....that I know have been living here for more than 5 years. They don't work. They vegetate. It's pretty basic: It needs to be highly "distasteful" for them to be here, and extremely difficult......or they are going to stay.....forever. Don't be stupid.

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The City have created a bum haven

Submitted on Sat, 11/03/2012 - 9:03am by trapper

and degraded the quality of life for it's Citizens. Not having a basic work program for it's tenants is at the core. on the other end of that stick is Long term use by tenants who have jobs needs to be addressed. They need to contribute to thier housing. When the next election comes for Mayor this will be a major issue, and may cost Cates his position. The majority of Key West Citizens aren't for supporting the chronic bums or people just living on the cheap.

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It's not The Mayor, it is the private enablers.

Submitted on Sun, 11/04/2012 - 9:07am by 666

Unfortunately if you do not have a place for the homeless to go, you can not stop them from sleeping in parks and encampments. Don't you remember the bridal path?? The Mayor is trying to find a way to keep them out of downtown and off the beaches where they hurt tourism. While many people may like the ideas of just buying them bus passes or forcing the to work, it isn't going to happen. Until all the private homeless advocates stop feeding them and helping them get welfare, Key West will continue to attract the homeless in ever increasing numbers (with ever increasing grants going to these organizations!) The Mayor is trying to deal with reality. A place open during the day as well as at night may let us be more aggressive regarding vagrancy laws.

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Fast Track

Submitted on Sat, 11/03/2012 - 7:57am by Jo Mama

The city and county should have fast tracked the exportation of the chronic bums and drunks out of the county instead of building this facility. The program was meant to be short term assistance to those temporarily homeless. Instead it morphed into permanent housing for the chronically drunk bums. Feel free to stop by college road any morning or evening and you will witness the zombie walk of the same bums everyday to and fro KOTS.