Local homeless advocate: More of the same old, same old for unhoused in Jacksonville

This is in response to the city’s $3.9 million appropriation to “address” Jacksonville’s homelessness crisis. My involvement with this issue began on Christmas Eve 2020 when I saw cold, wet and shivering homeless people trying to comfort themselves at the corner of Union and Jefferson streets.

In addition to providing food, clothing, shelter and preaching the gospel to them, I also participated in the City Council-sponsored study on Critical Quality of Life Issues in 2022. During this process, we learned it would take roughly $10 million to provide permanent supportive housing for every 200 homeless people.

There are at least 3,000 homeless people in Jacksonville and the current mayor is on record as having read the report. That means she should be well aware that $3.9 million is woefully inadequate.

The allocation for the current fiscal year 2023-2024 is millions less than what former Mayor Lenny Curry allocated for the homeless in his entire second term. It is, however, marginally more than what was included in Curry's final budget before leaving office.

So the current allocation is not only inadequate but inequitable, as well as discriminatory, immoral and abundantly hypocritical to my mind.

It's inequitable because homeless people are dying on the streets yet receiving virtually the lowest percentage of those funds. It’s discriminatory toward the poor because, although they need it most, those who don’t need assistance will receive a far greater share. It’s immoral because, despite their suffering and emergency needs, far more funds are allocated for things that are not critical life issues.

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Most importantly, it’s hypocritical because the city continues to lavishly bless the rich with corporate welfare, while pinching pennies to the poor, needy and homeless who really need help. As just one example, on the same day the city approved $3.9 million for the homeless, it proposed a bill that would give a private business owner $22 million for the ongoing Laura Street Trio project.

We’re talking about millions in taxpayer-funded grants and forgivable loans that will most likely never be repaid. In addition, the proposed bill could guarantee the developer’s $175 million bank loan for the project. This is corporate welfare at the taxpayer's expense.

Will $3.9 million meaningfully address Jacksonville’s chronic homelessness crisis? If given a choice, would you prefer your taxes to house the poor and needy or fund the lavish lifestyles of the rich and greedy?

A.W. “Al” Barlow, Jacksonville

This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Developers get corporate welfare while Jacksonville homeless suffer