Addressing homelessness

Jon DeCarmine, CEO of Grace Marketplace, points out some of the buildings on the grounds on Nov. 22, 2024. The facility for the homeless and hungry in Gainesville is considered to be a low-barrier point of entry for assistance. [Photo by Andy Fillmore]

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Posted December 10, 2024 | By Andy Fillmore, [email protected]

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Grace Marketplace, a low-barrier shelter for the homeless and hungry in northeast Gainesville, claims a 47% reduction in people living on the streets of Alachua County, with many people put on the path to permanent housing. Officials say the 23-acre facility former correctional facility could serve as a model for a low-barrier shelter in Ocala/Marion County, a need voiced by many who serve the homeless community in Marion County.

Grace Marketplace allows emergency entry without identification, no criminal background restrictions and does not require proof of attendance at substance abuse or mental health programs, as opposed to Ocala-area shelters that might require an ID or have criminal background restrictions. The Gainesville facility is operated by the Alachua County Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry.

Robin Ford, city of Ocala deputy director of Community Development Services, discussed the current status of the placement list used by the Ocala/Marion County Joint Office of Homelessness Prevention and the role of a low-barrier shelter via email.

The Marion County Commission approved the Ocala/Marion Joint Office of Homelessness Prevention on July 1, 2020, following a recommendation from the Marion County Public Policy Institute. The joint office is comprised of city of Ocala and Marion County employees and serves as the lead agency for federal funding. The Marion County staff primarily oversees funding and applications, while the city of Ocala staff is the lead agency for handling outreach efforts, Coordinated Entry and the Homeless Management Information System.

“We could always use additional resources to help us house our most vulnerable neighbors. Having a place to shelter neighbors that don’t qualify for the existing emergency shelters would be helpful. Any person that we are unable to house or provide adequate shelter for is one too many,” Ford stated.

“Currently, all the families on the coordinated entry list are in an emergency shelter or transitional housing. Of the 30 currently on the list, 21 are residing in an emergency shelter. The other nine are living in vehicles or encampments,” she wrote.

“The outreach teams offer the emergency shelters as a resource to those on the list; however, some refuse to go, and some cannot go due to violent criminal charges in their recent history. Some may refuse shelter because they are not able to bring their pets. This is where having a low-barrier shelter as a resource would be helpful,” Ford stated.

Ford provided details on the coordinated entry list used by the city and county to prioritize placement of homeless persons. The list is compiled using the Vulnerability Index-Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (VI-SPDAT) plus time of homelessness, according to city of Ocala Public Information Officer Gregory Davis.

Ocala City Council member Jim Hilty Sr. recently made his second tour of the Grace Marketplace grounds.

“I think the concept will work with the right people behind it. I do not see a location in Ocala that would fit. The best we can do is to refine the resources we currently have,” Hilty wrote in a text.

Major Phillip Irish of the Salvation Army in Ocala stated in an email that there is a need for a low-barrier shelter in Ocala, noting there are not enough emergency beds, especially for men.

Grace Marketplace, opened in 2014, offers not only food and shelter but access to resources for a pathway out of homelessness or more stable lifestyle. The average daily population is about 250 people, and the facility serves about 4,000 people annually, according to the facility’s CEO, Jon DeCarmine.

DeCarmine feels that giving water and blankets to a homeless person is like throwing a couple of buckets of water on a raging house fire and expecting to put it out.

DeCarmine, 46, a native of New York, has fought what he calls a nearly 10-year “not in my backyard” battle to operate Grace Marketplace.

“The plan was in consideration since 2005 before the facility opened in 2014,” DeCarmine said.

“Over the past 10 years, this has grown into a nationally recognized program driven by the needs of our community. We’ve had the opportunity to train hundreds of social workers to provide effective services and support to people in crisis,” DeCarmine wrote in an email.

Grace Marketplace has shown “there’s a better way to provide services to people without housing by prioritizing safety, respect, and impact,” he wrote.

DeCarmine compared housing a person for a night at Grace Marketplace at $80 to jailing the same person at an estimated cost of $150.

DeCarmine has announced his intentions to step down as CEO on Dec. 31, 2024, and pursue a career with OrgCode Consulting, which he described in an online letter as “the thought leaders in homeless services around the U.S. and several other countries” and originators of the VI-SPDAT measurement tool, which, he stated, has “transformed” homelessness service from “first-come, first-served” toward helping the most vulnerable.

John Thomas, Grace Marketplace vice president of advancement, will serve as interim CEO as of Jan. 1, 2025, according to gracemarketplace.org

DeCarmine said besides providing clients a garden, mail service and a computer room for access to Social Security, Veterans Affairs, Florida Department of Children and Families and other sources for entitlements and benefits, Grace Marketplace is intended to provide two more crucial needs of the homeless: “To be treated with respect, and we allow pets,” he said.

The facility touts an impact of reducing the “number of people living on the streets” by 47% and having served 22,394 people since opening in 2014, with 3,169 people housed. More than 1.3 million meals have been served at the facility’s Cafe 131 on the grounds.

A 2023 impact statement indicates the facility “ended homelessness” for 276 people, with six helped through a diversion program; 182 people sheltered in three dorms; and 88 people helped from intervention by the Street Outreach program.
Grace Marketplace has dorms for emergency intake, veterans and longer-term clients seeking permanent housing solutions. The longer-term dorm, clean and neat on a recent visit, contains institutional-type bedding with single and bunk-style beds in two wings.

DeCarmine said there are rules for behavior on the grounds and no drugs or alcohol or fighting among residents is tolerated.

“Our staff is trained to de-escalate situations,” he said.

During a recent visit, several residents on the grounds commented about the facility.

Russell, 53, was living on the street. He indicated Grace Marketplace gave him a base to work on getting income through a Social Security program.

At least one resident was previously living behind a nearby convenience store, and another was recently released from prison.

Beth, staying in the emergency intake dorm with her dog, was concerned about security without law enforcement on the property but had no firsthand report of a disruptive incident to share.

John, 44, lost his job. He had been at Grace Marketplace for a week with his dog, Bella, a husky. The facility was helping him get on his feet with food, shelter and use of a computer.

The funding sources for Grace Marketplace include the city of Gainesville, Alachua County, Veterans Affairs, reimbursements by a local hospital and private donors. According to a city spokesperson, the city’s 2025 budget includes $1.5 million for Grace Marketplace.

Gainesville City Commissioner Reina Saco stated in an email that Grace Marketplace has “done a lot of heavy lifting to get people the services they need to become and stay housed. Overall, Grace has been instrumental in getting folks off the streets.”

“I have seen (representatives of Grace Marketplace) come to the city commission with requests for funding and not always get what they ask for, but they always find a way to make up that difference and get a project done,” she wrote.
“I have been going to Grace as a volunteer on and off since it first opened. The site has always been busy and occupied but always clean and decent. It is by no means a luxury or pretty home, but it is kept clean of trash and refuse, has trash cans and bathrooms available … and is often refreshed to look more welcoming with fresh coats of paint or other touches,” Saco wrote.

Saco stated she feels the facility would operate better with more support from the other municipalities in Alachua County from which the clients may travel to Grace Marketplace.

Karla Greenway is the CEO of Interfaith Emergency Services in Ocala, one of the lead local agencies that work with the homeless and low-income.

“We definitely need a low-barrier shelter here. Primarily one that allows pets and unmarried couples to stay. It doesn’t have to be a no-barrier shelter, but we definitely have many who need shelter in our community that don’t qualify for our current shelter programs. We don’t need a shelter the size of the one in Gainesville, but even a 20-30 bed, pet-friendly shelter would be helpful,” she texted.

Greenway gave an example of a “dear friend” who struggles with mental health issues and is homeless. His only family is a pet dog. She stated the pair must “sleep in the freezing cold because there are no homeless shelters that are pet friendly.”

“It is truly heartbreaking for both my friend and his sweet dog,” she wrote.

To learn more about local efforts related to homelessness, go to ocalafl.gov/government/community-development-services and marionfl.org/agencies-departments/departments-facilities-offices/community-services/homeless-initiatives