The following initiatives are part of the 10-Year Plan To End Homelessness under the auspices of the Homeless Leadership Network:
The county will be taking over administration of the Homeless Street Outreach Program in St. Petersburg, and expanding to Pinellas Park and Lealman. The program teams a social worker with a police officer to make contact with homeless people and link them to needed resources. The annual cost of this countywide program is $168,191. The social workers for the Pinellas Park and Lealman team will come from Directions, and partner with the Pinellas Park Police Department and the Pinellas County Sheriffs Office for Lealman. Operation PAR will continue the team program in St. Petersburg with the city of St. Petersburg Police Department.
In conjunction with the Homeless Street Outreach Program, the county is being asked to approve a contract for homeless shelter beds for adults. The contracts are with the Homeless Emergency Project in Clearwater to provide 25 shelter beds for homeless adults and with Westcare Gulfcoast - Florida of St. Petersburg to provide 24 shelter beds with intervention services. The contracts would be effective Feb. 13. The cost is $269,489.
Mobile Medical Unit Gets Healthcare for the Homeless Grant. ?The United States Department of Health and Human Services is awarding a grant called Healthcare for the Homeless in the amount of $315,081 to the Pinellas County Mobile Medical Unit. Thirty percent of the program is financed with federal money. The Pinellas County Board of Commission's portion is $722,891. This grant is the sixth of 10 annual renewals and it specifically goes toward the services for homeless people. The Mobile Medical Unit also provides behavioral health services and legal assistance for the homeless. The medical unit is a custom designed vehicle built with federal and state funds that also helps underserved residents in the evening.