Emergency Shelter Meeting -- Nothing Happened

I couldn't make the Emergency Shelter meeting on Friday because I had to be in Boston for my job but I checked in with Kevin Noonan, Open Pantry director which runs the Warming Place. Bottom line: the city STILL has no plans for what will happen to 100+ homeless people after June 30. I know Kevin is talking to some churches to see if they might provide some temporary shelter....but I also know these churches have their own challenges right now, and, if a church says yes, that church will be under a lot of pressure from the city...all of the churches are in the downtown area, the last place where they are wanted.

I did, however, hear a rumor from another source that the city is now thinking the majority of the apartments with subsidies that are supposed to start making a dent in the hardcore homeless population will not be available until September 1st. I will call Gerry McCafferty, Homeless Housing Coordinator, to see what she has to say about this.

On another note, I've exchanged a few emails with a fellow blogger who is in a homeless program. In one of his blogs he mentioned his partner, who is in Florida prison. I asked him how long his partner would be incarcerated and got this response:

He has a life sentence, with no chance for probation or parole, because he robbed at age 16, and again at age 21. Noone was ever injured, and all property was returned. Just another archaic Floridian law.

Christopher's blog is at www.r25288.com