The Laker/Lutz News

The Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County

Advocating to reduce homelessness

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When it comes to community service and advocacy, more can always be done in Pasco County.

That was the general message put forth by Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells, at a Nov. 12 East Pasco Networking Group breakfast meeting at IHOP in Dade City.

There’s all sorts of resources for seniors, veterans and children and families, Wells said. But, he is advocating greater collaboration between the county, nonprofits and outreach groups — such as Meals on Wheels East Pasco, United Way of Pasco County and The Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells was a guest speaker at the East Pasco Networking Group’s Nov. 12 breakfast meeting at IHOP in Dade City. (File)

“We’re doing so many great things in the county, but everybody’s got their own dang silos and it’s almost like, ‘This is mine, I don’t want you to know what I’m doing,’” said Wells, a Republican who represents District 4. His district stretches from West Pasco to State Road 52 and State Road 54 toward U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes.

He added that deep-rooted community divide remains between the county’s east and west sides, which, he said, creates obstacles in getting tasks done.

He put it like this: “It’s always kind of been east versus west. I always thought it was political, but it’s a lot more political than I thought.”

Much of Wells’ talk focused on the county’s homeless situation and the need for workforce training.

With the county’s homeless population numbered as high as 3,000, Wells said it’s important “to help those that want to be helped.”

He acknowledged that he’s still “catching heat” from residents who opposed his support of building a family homeless shelter and resource center, in partnership with The Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County, on the site of the former Boys and Girls Club on Youth Lane in Port Richey.

But, Wells went to bat for the homeless: “These homeless people are like you and I. They’re regular people. You just have to take an opportunity to get to know them and get to know these folks.”

He argued such a facility and other outreach programs isn’t just enabling area homeless.

“Supposedly, that’s a Democrat thing, to help the homeless. No, it’s a humanitarian, kind thing. At the end of the day, it’s the right thing to do,” Wells said.

On a related note, Wells believes the forthcoming $128 million expansion of the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center could go a long way toward helping the county’s homeless population get back on its feet.

Within the 1,000-bed addition and upgrades to all of the jail’s central services will be a new wing designed to directly address mental illness and addiction, which Wells said is often tied into homelessness. The expansion project is expected to undergo construction in 2021, with completion in fiscal year 2023.

Said Wells: “We’re going to be able to do more at the jail to stop that revolving door, because that’s what it is now. They come in the jail, (staff) don’t really do much for them for mental illness or addiction, they leave and come back, they leave and come back. …It’s going to be nice a couple years from now to say, ‘Wow, look what we can do here.’”

Also tied into the rehabilitation piece is helping homeless and ex-convicts get back to work, Wells said.

This year the county allocated $700,000 to CareerSource Pasco Hernando’ Workforce Re-entry Program, he said. That program connects unemployed and underemployed people with jobs and training they needed to fill any skill gaps. The county initially allocated $350,000 in Penny for Pasco funds for the project last year.

About 50 people went through the program with last year’s funding, Wells said.

He shared the success story of a masters-educated man who was homeless this time last year and is now making $45 per hour with Pall Aeropower Corporation in New Port Richey.

“He fell on tough times, and we were able to help him,” Wells said.

The commissioner also noted the county now hires ex-felons for certain positions — something it didn’t do before he was first elected in 2014.

Many of those hires now are “kicking butt with the county, getting promoted,” he said.

“Everybody makes mistakes,” Wells said. “We all make mistakes, and everybody deserves a second chance.”

Though he spoke at the networking meeting as a member of the Pasco County Commission, Wells has announced that he is pursuing a different role. He is  running for Pasco County Property Appraiser in 2020.

Published November 20, 2019

Homeless Coalition CEO understands tough times

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Don Anderson, the new chief executive officer for The Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County, doesn’t have to look far to understand what it’s like to experience poverty.

“I come from very humble beginnings. My dad didn’t finish eighth grade. My mom didn’t finish high school. He worked three jobs.

“We had a hard time keeping a car going, let alone pay the rent every month.

Don Anderson is the new chief executive officer for The Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County. Many people are just a medical issue, a car accident, a car problem or a few paychecks away from homelessness, he said. (B.C. Manion)

“I remember sitting around the table with them at the end of every month, deciding who it is that we would not pay, so we could pay the rent every month.

“We relied on the church and food stamps, and just the generosity of others,” Anderson said.

And, he knows his experiences are far more common than people think.

For many — just a single incident such as a medical issue, a car accident, a car breaking down or the loss of a job — can push them into homelessness, he said. That’s particularly true in communities, such as Pasco County, where much of the workforce receives minimum wage earnings from service industry jobs, he added.

While Anderson’s background didn’t prevent him from landing work with technology companies, he said he experienced his share of ups and downs through the years.

At one point, at the encouragement of one of his customers, he volunteered for Metropolitan Ministries. Later, when he was in his 50s, he got a job there.

A couple of years ago, he went to work for Youth and Family Alternatives in Pasco, where he was the vice president of strategy and development.

He said he sought his current post because he wanted an opportunity to take on a greater leadership role.

Being new to that post, Anderson said he has much to learn. He plans to do a lot of listening, and a lot of reaching out.

He said he wants to make internal improvements to the organization he’s leading, but also wants to forge stronger relationships with people in the community who may have felt alienated in the past.

One of the biggest developments on the horizon is the effort to open Pasco County’s first homeless shelter as part of a comprehensive plan to help the county’s homeless population.

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office has estimated there are about 100 camps across Pasco County where people live.

The chosen location for what is proposed as a “one-stop navigation center” is in two county-owned buildings in west Pasco, formerly leased to the Boys & Girls Club.

A planning commission meeting is scheduled for next month, regarding the conditional use of the property, and then the issue will go to the Pasco County Commission for a vote, Anderson said.

The project has met resistance from area residents.

Anderson said he planned to attend a meeting with neighbors. He said his goal is to “understand their concerns and then address them, as best as we can.”

Many of the details for the Navigation Center have not been worked out yet — such as how many beds the center will have — so conversations will need to continue as more information becomes available, he said.

There also is a host of challenges facing the homeless in Pasco County, he said. For one thing, there needs to be designated places where the homeless can go for shelter when temperatures plummet, he said.

There is some assistance available through partner organizations, but generally that is simply helping people in need to find motel rooms, said Anderson, noting the coalition pays for those rooms.

The Homeless Coalition, established in 1988, is a network of individuals and organizations working together to promote a community-wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness.

Published January 17, 2018