Homeless expert: Ordinances should never be first step in dealing with the homeless, calls the laws ‘silly’

Mayor Ashton Hayward, Pensacola City Council and the City of Pensacola garnered international ridicule for its homeless ordinances, particularly the one that outlawed blankets. An online petition by Rev. Nathan Monk has 20,110 signatures.

The city council amended the no-blanket, but balked at repealing all the ordinances until the city had a forum on the issue and heard from its yet-to-be-appointed task force.

Yesterday national consultant Dr. Robert Marbut Jr. was the featured speaker at the forum concerning the city’s homelessness problem. Marbut, who has a proven track record when it comes to reducing homelessness in communities across America, has Seven Guiding Principles for Transformation that he developed.

During the two-hour presentation and Q&A session, he shared those and gave Pensacola citizens two more principles to consider.

ONE: “If you fight among yourselves you are not going to solve this problem,” he said urging leaders of government, faith-based groups, homeless activist organizations and businesses to work together.

TWO: “Ordinances are never your first pitch. Ordinances are part of the overall system. Only trying to do ordinances is not going to work.”

He added that the city’s task force should deal with ordinances immediately and simultaneously along with other issues, such as Pensacola’s capacity to handle mental health, substance abuse and workforce training issues that are the core contributors to the homeless problem.

“If you’re not fixing capacity, then you might as well throw your ordinances out,” he said.

Marbut, who has worked on homeless issues for more than 30 years, added that ordinances alone are “silly.” He said governments typically get sued and lose those lawsuits when employing only that strategy.

Pensacola enacted a number of ordinances in May 2013 aimed at the homeless and Occupy Pensacola. It overturned its “blanket” ordinance that made it illegal to wear blankets in public places. The city council recently passed a moratorium on revising other laws, such as one banning certain activities, like washing, in public bathrooms.

More than 100 city officials, local homeless groups, business people and interested citizens attended the free seminar with Marbut at City Hall.

Marbut has helped to dramatically reduce homeless populations around the country, including helping create the Haven for Hope in San Antonio, Texas. There the homeless population has dropped 80 percent citywide, 700 fewer people end up in jail at night and emergency calls involving the homeless have dropped from about one per hour to three a day on average, he reported.

In Pinellas County, the homeless population has dropped 91 percent, he added.

Marbut challenged the Pensacola audience: “Do you want to dramatically reduce homelessness? Do you want to help the people you are really trying to help?”

During the Q&A session, homeless activists argued vehemently with him and heckled him. Marbut was unflappable with a group of a half dozen young activists who took issue with Marbut’s insistence that merely handing out food, clothes and other “goodies” will not work without requiring homeless to receive services that help them deal with mental health, substance abuse, unemployment or other root causes.

Marbut also advocates “consequences and benefits” for homeless behaviors, while they are enrolled in programs to get them back on their feet.

“I’m not Dr. Tough Love. I’m Dr. Smart Love,” Marbut said. “You have to tie your brain to your heart.”

He offered to bring one belligerent homeless activist with him on a tour to see what works and what doesn’t.

While Marbut discussed his principles and what he discovered works in other communities, another major issue for the Pensacola audience was funding. Marbut told them not to expect any federal funds. His funding formula: 25% city, 25% county, 25% business community and 25% faith-based entities. Currently, local government spends $0 on homeless services.

“I’ll take money from anybody,” Marbut said. “You’re going to have to put up money for this, if you really want to solve it.”

One man at the meeting asked whether having Marbut speak was merely a public pacifier employed by local politicians after months of heated debate. Marbut pointed out if Pensacola does nothing, it can expect 20 percent more homeless people in the next 18-24 months.

“I would give them a chance,” Marbut said. “Don’t bash them yet. But don’t wait two weeks either.”

Other Marbut wisdoms and advice:

–Education: It’s important to keep children in homeless families in the same school.

–Homeless Population: He finds 40-45% of homeless are led by single mothers, while combat veterans with untreated mental health issues make up one-third.

–Panhandling: Marbut claimed that 93 percent of $1 given to panhandlers goes to alcohol, drugs or prostitution. He recommended giving a dollar for each business day, or $250, to a local organization that works effectively with homeless, such as Loaves and Fishes or Waterfront Rescue Mission.

–Treatment: On average, longtime homeless people take nine months to recover and get back on their feet.