Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Tribune article on homeless services:
Politics
Hillsborough to finance 75-bed shelter for homeless
By Mike Salinero | Tribune Staff
Published: October 22, 2014 | Updated: October 23, 2014 at 06:08 AM
TAMPA — The chilly winds of winter add another degree of misery to the lives of Hillsborough County’s homeless population.
But that misery will be allayed for some families and individuals this winter thanks to a new Community Housing Solutions Center financed by county government. The county put out a call for bids Wednesday for a 75-bed center, which will be run by a non-governmental organization.
The center will provide short-term housing _ an average of six months _ along with case management services to help the residents get on their feet financially and find permanent housing. The project marks the latest step in a long-term commitment by county leaders to significantly reduce the number of people living outside.
“We want to solve the problem, not put a Band-Aid on it,” said County Commissioner Sandy Murman, a long-time advocate for homeless services. “It’s up to our staff and the people we contract with to make sure they do these services so we can really fix the problem.”
The county has budgeted $1.6 million a year for housing the homeless, said John Hollingshead, county division director for procurement. That figure is in addition to $2.3 million that county commissioners appropriated earlier this year for two-year contracts with three non-profit organizations _ Metropolitan Ministries, Salvation Army and the Agency for Community Treatment Services. The non-profits provide emergency services to homeless families, individuals and clients with mental or substance abuse problems.
And, in a project spearheaded by Murman last year, the county partnered with local business leaders to build Cypress Landings, an apartment building in north Tampa that provides permanent housing and a host of services to the chronically homeless.
The Housing Solutions Center now out for bid was supposed to be located in a former work release center owned by the Sheriff’s Office on Orient Road. Murman said the county postponed using the sheriff’s center when the county Environmental Protection Commission found a leaking fuel tank nearby. The housing center in the sheriff’s building was going to have 180 beds.
“When the jail problem is rectified, hopefully we’ll have enough money to do both projects,” Murman said. “We may have to have a smaller project at the jail with not as many beds.”
The new center will have 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week access. It will include basic services such as food, showers, personal storage, laundry, security and supervision.
Bids will be accepted until Nov. 5, Hollingshead said. The county commission will likely approve the deal at its December meeting.
“My understanding is they want to get it to the first board meeting in December because the cold weather will be occurring,” Hollingshead said.
