Thursday, September 18, 2008

Of the 1,121 homeless people living in Monroe County, some 300 are children, a homeless advocate said Wednesday night at an open discussion meeting about the issue.

Organizers were looking for ways to lower that number.

It was a small audience -- about 10, including four homeless people -- that attended the gathering about homelessness in the Florida Keys.

Wade Lallemont of the Southernmost Homeless Assistance League (SHAL) and the Faces of Homelessness Speakers Bureau released some grim figures on the issue.

There are about 450 homeless people living in Key West, according to a survey Lallemont and other advocates completed last year. He was quick to point out that there are probably more now, as the numbers have steadily increased in recent years.

Of those 450, about 80 percent have a medical or physical disability or substance abuse issue, Lallemont said.

"And we don't have nearly enough beds," he said in reference to such places as Keys Overnight Temporary Shelter (KOTS) on Stock Island.

Florida leads the nation in attacks on the homeless, with 31 occurring in the sunshine state and seven leading to deaths, Lallemont said. California is second.

The group was in agreement that more public interest in the issue is needed, but cloudy on exactly how to get people off the streets and under a roof.

"We need a safe place for people to go and not be harassed," said Wendy Coles, executive director of SHAL.

The No. 1 problem that Coles has heard is the homeless finding a place to use the restroom. And when the city of Key West was discussing possibly acquiring Higgs Beach from Monroe County, it was seen by some as an attempt to control the homeless population there, Coles said. "But if they can't sit down there, then where?" Coles said.

No one had an answer, though resident Meryl Berman suggested looking to other towns that have successfully dealt with the problem.

"You can't just remove parks or similar areas, put up fences and say you've solved the problem," Berman said.

Wayne Lewis told the group that he used to live on the streets -- in areas from Big Pine Key to the mangroves of Ramrod Key -- and now travels to Tallahassee to try to persuade legislators to set aside more money for homeless causes.

Lewis said he struggled with drug abuse, depression and considered suicide while on the streets.

"It's always one check away," he said.

The group will host another open discussion meeting tonight in Marathon, starting at 6 p.m. at the Marathon Personal Growth Center.

alinhardt@keysnews.com