For many of our neighbors living on the street, the way up seems like an impossible climb. Government systems are labyrinthine challenges. Every step in the right direction is preceded by a never-ending wait, and endless stacks of paperwork separate them from even the smallest success. Many of them succumb to failure, choosing to sleep on the sidewalk rather than subject themselves to miles of red tape and confusion.
Last year’s point-in-time count identified 6,235 homeless people in Pinellas County with 2,232 of them living unsheltered. That’s a 20 percent increase from 2007 in the number of overall homeless, and an 82.7 percent increase in the number of unsheltered homeless.
Since opening in December 2007, Pinellas Hope, a.k.a. “Tent City” has been a beacon of light for many struggling to survive on the streets. With approximately 280 tents and casitas, new transitional living facilities, a brand new community center, countless resources from food to medical care to job and housing assistance, and a community of almost 300 other people working their way out of homelessness, it’s no wonder there’s a crowd gathered around the steps of City Hall every Thursday when the St. Petersburg outreach team comes to take people down.
“This is really not that bad,” says Ryne Laxton, Outreach Specialist for Operation PAR and half of the St. Petersburg outreach team. He gazes over a crowd of twelve or thirteen. “There have been times when we’ve had 50 people out here.”
