WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The housing crisis and rising cost of living are pushing family budgets to the breaking point in Palm Beach County. For many, that means the unthinkable, losing the roof over their heads.
WATCH BELOW: 'We can provide them shelter and get them stabilized,' Dr. James Green tells WPTV's Joel Lopez
In one West Palm Beach neighborhood, residents say the number of people living without shelter has been growing, and they’re now calling on WPTV to push the county for help.
More Than Just a Park for Recreation
At South Olvie Park, just off South Dixie Highway and Forest Hill Boulevard, Richard Kellogg is spending the day with his grandson.
“We come here a lot,” Kellogg said. “It’s great especially we love it, because of the splash pad over there, which in the summer time is a lifesaver.”
But Kellogg admits he often sees people without shelter nearby.
“We see them. They just kind of keep to themselves. For a lot of people they’re under the radar,” he said.
Some rinse off and shower near the park’s splash pad, others sleep under the pavilions.
“I don’t feel unsafe at all, all I would say is if there’s some way that they could do a little bit more outreach for people that wanted help to help them do that,” said Kellogg. “God bless those people that are not sheltered and trying to make due day to day.”
Visible at Night
Neighbors said the presence is more noticeable after dark, spotting people sleeping on picnic tables outside businesses and shopping centers.
Just down the road, longtime resident Connie Tuisku has her own story.
“I helped one of the ladies, I thought she just wanted money but she didn’t, she just wanted help, and so I was able to connect her with Saint Anne’s,” she said.
Tuisku has lived in southwest Palm Beach for 24 years and said helping isn’t always easy.
“I find that there are some roadblocks to receiving help, one of them is transportation,” Tuisku said. “Low income housing is a severe matter, serious matter.”
County Responds, How to Report
After hearing from residents, WPTV turned to Palm Beach County Community Services Director Dr. James Green for answers.
He confirmed south Palm Beach County, including south West Palm Beach, has a larger population of people without shelter. On Monday, the county dispatched an outreach team to assess the situation.
“We have a crew out there this afternoon, we have a crew out periodically to assess the area to do what we can,” Green said.
Green said they can send teams even after traditional work hours and want to partner more with businesses. They aim to inform owners about available resources, give them guidance on how to offer help to those who are unsheltered, and share tips on what not to do during encounters.
Residents can call 833-HHA-WILL for available services.
Green also recommends using the portal at homelessplan.org to report homelessness so outreach teams can deploy quickly. This will allow Community Services to track their response time and track what work they've done to address the issue.
Why Action Matters
According to the latest Point in Time count, more than 1,500 people in Palm Beach County are without a place to call home. Green said chronic homelessness costs taxpayers between 35,000 and 40,000 a year per person, mostly in emergency room visits and legal fees.
“We can provide them shelter and get them stabilized, into housing and give them the opportunity to work — is going to be the best return we can afford all of our taxpayers,” Green said.
Green expressed the bigger issue is the need for affordable housing, and how low inventory is contributing to the amount of people without shelter.
