Enough is Enough: Stop the Homeless Crisis
In this week’s update, we sent out a plea to help an elderly man in South Florida find a stable home so that he can receive medical treatment for prostate cancer. He is only one example of those struggling to survive due to residency restrictions, especially when they have family waiting with open arms to welcome them into their homes.
In other cases, we have an aging population that needs care in nursing homes, skilled living facilities, dementia wards and even hospice residences. They are being denied due to residency restrictions where a school, park, playground or daycare center is within 1000′ of the medical care facility, as though these patients are somehow expected to walk out on their own.
This does not just impact the elderly. There are people in need of physical rehab after surgery or injuries that are denied access to residential care facilities. A young man on probation that had his second leg amputated was left to find someone to take him into their home and drive him back and forth to daytime rehab appointments. The home had to be outside of the 1000′ from any school, park playground or daycare center, of course. To add to the absurdity, this young man is on a GPS monitor that his Probation officer attached to his wrist when he no longer had an ankle to use.
And a mother, sleeping in her parked car on a street corner with her son each night so that he would have some shelter, because his homeless camp was bull-dozed without warning. While all of the occupants of the camp lost everything to a bull-dozer and dump truck, they were also told that their GPS coordinates were changed to another location that they must go to. He is afraid that he may be violated because the car is parked on the street near the entrance to the wooded area, instead of in thick, damp bug-infested woods.
The stories are endless and they need to be documented. Letters need to be sent, calls need to be made, and speakers need to be ready to present.
Enough is enough. We need your help to raise awareness of these issues in an organized campaign that will reach the legislators as well as the public and media. Are you ready to join the newly-formed FAC sub-committees on 1) Homelessness or 2) Elder Care?
Please contact membership@floridaactioncommittee.org. with your name and county. If you are not already a member of Florida Action Committee (FAC), please complete a member form at https://floridaactioncommittee.org/become-a-member/
Share campaign suggestions below. With Unity Comes Change.
I read the email about the gentleman who needs a place to stay so the hospital can perform life-saving cancer surgery. It is truly heartbreaking. Would it be possible to do a “Go Fund me”, use another similar site or even this site to raise money for an extended stay hotel that is not in a restricted area in his community where the man can stay until he recovers from his surgery?
This situation and others like it were the topic of our membership meeting last evening. Many recommendations were made as to the situation and even an offer directly to assist this individual. How ever as was recommended by our member facilitator . We MUST have a campaign that will address this issue across the board. This issue has been regulated and talked about since 2006 and nothing has been done to change it for registered citizens. Changing the mind set of the public as to this mindset is imperative ( educated everywhere). Putting it out there for all to see an understand what is going on must continue in force( share the stories of the harm and homelessness). While we may be able to help this one through our friendly community to provide aide . We must be concerned for the ALL as well as the ONE . Join in in the FAC committee campaign and help seek out with strategies for change.
Perhaps we may begin by picking apart what is currently on the books that was part of the beginning of this war in Fl concerning Nursing home care and Registered Citizens.
Our biggest regulatory issue in Florida is HOME RULE and the ability of chartered counties and cities to pass their own ordinances in what effects the daily lives of registered citizens and their families.
In my humble opinion finding a sponsor to fight against this HomeRule, Advocating an exemption Back to the state for any regulatory process involving the registrant population, this could help prevent so much of the utter turmoil caused by all these rules. I could preach on and on as to the negative issues wrapped around all these ordinances the damage they do and the loss of money and the disenfranchisement of the registrants and the families . But most of us live that don’t we.
It will take many voices willing to step up and speak up let the committee’s know you care and your in, whether its this kind of idea or others in what ever way you can contribute.
I thought abuse of home rule was DEFEATED in Nassau County below. Am surprised this victory has not been replicated elsewhere. Do we know why? Just lack of funds?
https://floridaactioncommittee.org/great-decision-nassau-county-fl-sorr-violated-ex-post-facto-provisions/
No Home Rule is a right of chartered cities and counties unless the issue is preempted to state control in law. As I can see this case was an “as applied to the defendant” and is only unconstitutional as it applies to him concerning that county ordinance. I believe that anyone that would qualify to contest ordinances based on an as applied to rule could possible win a case. I believe there are other such presidencies that may have been won in other counties as it applies to the particular individual who sued . That would be at their own expense and possibly cost prohibited for many others with out funds for representation who could qualify for relief. It is also my thoughts that the FAC EPF cases will provide relief for many in those situations should they prevail. Which is a very important issue to continue to financially support thru FAC donations.
These are all very valid points, but this gentleman doesn’t have the time to wait for lengthy litigation. He needs medical care now.
Why can’t the man get surgery and recover at the hospital and then go to a rehab center regardless of where. It is a medical necessity . So inhumane. We are not a third world country.
Because rehab centers will not take him because of the Residency Restrictions. That is the problem.
https://fox11online.com/amp/news/local/winnebago-co-unveils-plan-for-million-dollar-sex-offender-housing
Reading this and knowing Ronald Lee Book will be getting the best medical care money can buy just raises my anger level beyond 10.
I am seeking information About people who are being forced to register from out-of-state in violation of the state laws where they came from. These states must not require them to register. Either they have completed their duty to register in that state or that state prohibits back-dating of the registration.