New tent city, new hope for homeless

By: Janie Porter

Pinellas County, Florida – Saturday, about 70 people brought their sleeping bags and set up tents at Pinellas Hope, a temporary village for the homeless in Pinellas County.

The site, which used to be a wooded lot, is located in an unincorporated area of Pinellas county near the corner of 49^th Street North and 126^th Avenue North.

Though some questioned whether the homeless would want to live in the largely industrial area, it may actually help some of them find jobs.

“I’ve been a machinist for 18 years, and now I’m in the right area because Clearwater and this area is really good for machining,” said Matthew Luther as he set up his tent. Homeless since November 14, Luther had been living under the bridge near St. Vincent’s.

Catholic Charities, the city of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County worked with countless other agencies to create Pinellas Hope. The set-up is geared toward giving the homeless the tools to find employment and comes after months of high-profile problems in St. Petersburg.

As soon as residents arrive at Pinellas Hope, they sit down with a caseworker who gives them information about resources in the community and helps them solve any interpersonal issues.

“They’re hooking us up with voicemail numbers,” said Roger Anderson as he stood in front of his tent. “It’s gonna help me ease back into the structure of things.”

Catholic Charities put out about 200 vouchers to people who are invited to live at Pinellas Hope. Some didn’t qualify, including sexual predators and people with active warrants.

Some of the rules of Pinellas Hope include: no alcohol, no drugs, and three hours of volunteer time a week such as cleaning bathrooms or cleaning up food.

There are also curfews. Residents must be on-site by 10p.m. on weekdays and midnight on weekends, said Catholic Charities president Frank Murphy.

After hearing those rules, a handful of people walked away Saturday.

Off-duty Pinellas County sheriff’s deputies will also be at Pinellas Hope between 8p.m. and 2a.m.

“Those are the tough busy times when it’s dark,” Murphy paused, “and things happen.”

Residents are also not allowed to loiter in the areas around Pinellas Hope. If they need to get somewhere, Catholic Charities says they will be transported by bus.

Pinellas Hope is considered a temporary emergency housing program for the homeless. At the end of April, the Bishop, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker and the Chairman of the county commission will meet to decide what’s next.

“If this helps and really does make a contribution to the county… we’d like to continue it, but it’s gonna depend on how successful we are,” Murphy said.