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Friday, March 29, 2024

Lee co. homeless have few places to turn during pandemic

Credit: FOX 4 Now Florida
Duration: 03:22s 0 shares 2 views

Lee co. homeless have few places to turn during pandemic
Lee co. homeless have few places to turn during pandemic

What happens to people struggling with homelessness during a shelter in place order?

We asked and found that Lee county's homeless population have few places to turn.

THE MESSAGE LEE COUNTY LEADERSARE URGING YOU TO HEAR AND TAKESERIOUSLY TONIGHT.AS LEE COUNTY PREPARES TO HUNKERDOWN UNDER THE GOVERNOR’S NEW"SAFER AT HOME" ORDER WHICHOFFICIALLY GOES INTO EFFECT INTWO HOURS -- WE WANTED TO CHECKIN WITH SOME OF THE MOSTVULNERABLE PEOPLE -- IN OURCOMMUNITY THOSE STRUGGLING WITHHOMELESSNESS.

I’M PATRICK NOLAN.AND I’M JANE MONREAL.FOX 4 REPORTER ROCHELLE ALLEYNEAND PHOTO JOURNALIST CURTTREMPER SPOKE WITH THOSEEXPERIENCING THE ISSUE AND THOSEIN CHARGE OF HELPING THEM -- TOGET SOME ANSWERS.41-46146-157"This safer at home phase.""Safer at home.""You need to stick close tohome."STAY HOME -- THAT’S A MESSAGEWE’VE HEARD A LOT OF RECENTLY.BUT AS THE START DATE FOR THEGOVERNOR’S "SAFER AT HOME" ORDERNEARS -- IT BEGS THE QUESTION --WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I DON’T HAVEA HOME?((Wants to Remain Anonymous))"It’s been really rough."IT’S A QUESTION PLAYING ONREPEAT IN THE MIND OF ONE FORTMYERS MOTHER --((Wants to Remain Anonymous))"I wasn’t able to cover our rendue to so many circumstancesthat have been going on."EVICTED DURING A PANDEMIC.AS THE DOWNTOWN LIBRARY CLEARSOUT THE ONLY SEATING SHE’S HADFOR THE DAY --((cover))"We have no place to go."WE HEAR A SIMILAR STORY.((Suzette//Struggling withHomelessness))"We have nothing.

We have noplace to go.

No one’s helpingus, no one is offering us anyguidance.

No one’s offering usany assistance."UP UNTIL RECENTLY -- THIS MOTHERAND SON HAD BEEN STAYING IN ATENT -- AFTER FALLING ON HARDTIMES.((Suzette//Struggling witHomelessness))"I had a brand new car lastyear.

We had a house to live in.Last year everything wascompletely different."EVERYONE WE SPOKE TO SATHEY’VE CALLED ALL THE LOCALAGENCIES FOR HELP --AND I DID TOO.AFTER COUNTLESS MESSAGES -- --I DID GET A RESPONSE FROM THELEE COUNTY HOMELESS COALITIONTHEY SAID CERTAIN FOOD BANKS ARESTILL OPEN -- BUT ALL SHELTERSARE FULL.AND UNLESS YOU ARE HOMELESS ANDHAVE TESTED POSITIVE FORCOVID-19 -- THEIR ONLRECOMMENDATION FOR SHELTER IS TOSTAY IN YOUR CAR OR IN A TENT ATTHIS TIME.VOLUNTEERS WITH A LOCALNON-PROFIT -- SAY AT A TIME WHENSOME ARE TRULY JUST ONE PAYCHECKAWAY FROM FACING SIMILARCIRCUMSTANCES -- THE COUNTYNEEDS TO STEP IN AND DO MORE.((Dr. Denise Traficante//A Voicein the Wilderness EmpowermentCenter))"This pandemic should reallymake people realize that youcould have a good job today, butyou don’t know if you’re goingto work.

And when your billsaren’t being paid, who is goingto be the one to pick that up?"BACK AT THE LIBRARY -- THOSESITTING OUTSIDE SAY THEY’REHOPING TO FIND SOMEWHERE SAFE TOLAY THEIR HEAD BEFORENIGHTFALL--((Wants to Remain Anonymous))"I am going to try to get usinto a place, but if therenothing that we can do, we’rejust going to try to wait it outand see what happens."A BIT OF GOOD NEWS TO REPORT --THAT MOTHER AND CHILD WEREEVENTUALLY ABLE TO FIND A PLACETO STAY AFTER CONNECTING THEMWITH THE NON-PROFIT WE MENTIONEDIN THE PIECA SPOKESPERSON FOR THE COUNTOLD ME IN A STATEMENT THAT THEYARE HOPING TO WORK WITH THEY AREHOPING TO WORK WITH FEMA TOSECURE A LOCATION WHERE THEYCOULD PROVIDE ISOLATION ROOMSFOR THE HOMELESS WHO HAVE TESTEDPOSITIVE FOR COVID-19.THERE’S STILL NO WORD ON WHAT ISBEING DONE FOR THOSE WHHAVEN

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