NORMAN — As the City of Norman and advocates work to find a solution for a community fridge that the city displaced late last month, advocates say the fridge’s removal
The program has helped 41 families over the last three years and it since has been replicated in four other Florida counties due to the results in Santa Rosa. The school district says about 95% of the at-risk students in the program successfully graduated to the next grade level by the end of the year.
And while this is one small, focused program, the results are evidence for what countless studies and homelessness experts say is required to address the larger problems in Escambia County a holistic, comprehensive approach to the problem. You re at the edge of crisis, about ready to go over the hill, Marbut said. I mean you re at 50 miles an hour aiming for the cliff right now.
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A Santa Rosa County School District program that holistically addresses the issues behind why homeless students struggle in school and helps families get into stable housing has become so successful that it s being duplicated in at least five other counties across the state.
The issue is a cycle, according to Patti McKnight, the district s federal programs director. If students are homeless or at risk of homelessness, they often face other issues being tired or hungry in classes or lacking transportation, for example that can lead to grades slipping or acting out.
The school district s program, called Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, was launched in 2017 in partnership with the Florida Housing Finance Corp. and Opening Doors of Northwest Florida.
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The City of Normanâs decision to clear out a homeless encampment drew criticism from some local advocates.
The northeast corner of Alameda Street and Carter Avenue was deeded at no cost to the city by William H. Matoon Revocable Trust upon the approval of the Norman City Council during the April 9, 2021 meeting.
City spokeswoman Annahylse Meyer said 20 people were living in unsanitary conditions, and two additional people were arrested on warrants unrelated to the relocation.
The camp posed a public health risk, she said. City records show the cost to clean it up will be $50,000.
âI think itâs important to note that this is not an eviction â it is a relocation from an unsanitary encampment situation to a shelter where individuals can begin or continue a housing plan for sustainable permanent housing,â she said. âWeâve been working closely with the Continuum of Care [CoC] throughout the process, and to date CoC caseworkers have identif