To Control Gainesville s Downtown Homeless During The Pandemic, Police Turned To A Private Security Contractor wuft.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wuft.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The homeless population in Alachua County and the region significantly dropped over the last year a clear sign that efforts to get them into housing is working, officials said.
The homeless population in the county dropped 21% in the survey of the population from Jan. 26 through Jan. 31. It took longer than normal to get the results due to the pandemic.
Officials said while more people are getting permanent housing, more government money is needed to support those efforts.
The latest Point in Time (PIT) survey results released Monday by the North Central Florida Alliance for the Homeless and Hungry shows there were 521 people in Alachua County who were homeless during the most recent count, down from 657 the year before.
United Way of North Central Florida has selected its new president and CEO after a nationwide search.
The board of directors unanimously voted for Amber Miller to take the lead role permanently after she served as interim president since August 2020. The previous president, Mona Gil de Gibaja, stepped down in July 2020 to take a role at another local nonprofit.
The local branch of the nonprofit organization, formed in 1957, serves Alachua, Bradford, Dixie, Gilchrist, Levy and Union counties by partnering with community agencies, developing grant-funded initiatives and providing services to the community.
Miller said transitioning into the interim president and CEO role during the pandemic was a smoother process than she would have thought.