PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — In a unanimous decision on Tuesday, Palm Beach County commissioners voted to continue their contract with the Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County as part of its 10-year plan to end homelessness.
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This vote follows concerns raised a couple of weeks ago by Palm Beach County Vice Mayor Sara Baxter, who said she was worried about how the coalition was spending its funding.
“It seems like the majority of the budget goes to employees. That isn’t why they were created. They were created to help out the homeless,” said Baxter.
The funding in question is set out in a 10-year contract between the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners and the coalition, which began on July 2, 2019, and will run until September 30, 2029.
This agreement provides the coalition with approximately $150,000 each year, contingent upon budget approvals by the board.
During a recent county budget workshop, Baxter proposed pulling funding for the coalition.
The commissioners responded by agreeing to examine the situation further and invited representatives from the coalition to attend the Tuesday meeting to clarify their financial allocations.
WPTV searched for answers and met with Homeless Coalition CEO Alexandria Ayala, who revealed that county funding for staff represents only “5% to 6% of the coalition’s overall budget.”
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“A few years ago, we had a few new commissioners join last year. We just had two new commissioners join who mentioned on the record that they hadn't really read the contract," she elaborated, We're always open to clarity and questions, and I think we’ll be given a great opportunity to explain what we've done and where we want to go. What are your issues in your district that your folks need help with, and we're happy to talk about it.”
When asked what the coalition would have done without the county's funding.
“It could have ended up that we have to dissolve, or the board would have to find private funding for that same amount of money, which could be difficult in this environment right now," Ayala explained. "So, we didn't really know where our future stood, but we're thankful that the county is supporting us and remains our partner.”
Numerous coalition representatives attended the Board of County Commissioners meeting Tuesday.
“What we are trying to do is to make sure that everyone in the county has a roof over their head,” stated Melissa McKinlay, president of the Homeless Coalition.
She addressed the financial concerns tied to the $150,000 from the county, clarifying that, under the county contract, that money is specifically earmarked for staffing, and the coalition is strictly prohibited from providing any direct services in order to not compete with local nonprofits.
County staff presented data showing that, over the past five years, the coalition has provided significant funding to other organizations, including Adopt-A-Family ($1,025,902), Gulfstream Goodwill ($845,533), and The Lord's Place ($306,552).
In March, the county released its Point In Time count, which indicates the number of individuals experiencing homelessness.
The count found that, in 2025, there were 1,520 people, a decrease from 2,126 in 2024.
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Ayala noted the potential reasons behind this decline worried that many people going unaccounted for after increased immigration enforcement, and new rules that prohibit people from sleeping overnight in public areas.
“We have a real issue on our hands, and it’s getting more difficult with cuts on funding and the different rhetoric around how we treat and really analyze homelessness,” she stated.
In the last couple of years, the coalition has helped over 450 individuals secure housing through various organizations.
One of those organizations, Vita Nova, also attended the county meeting and reported that the Homeless Coalition contributed approximately $50,000 to their efforts.
Marcello Hart, a 22-year-old who began receiving support from Vita Nova at age 19, spoke passionately at the county meeting on behalf of the coalition and the help they've provided Vita Nova.
"They’ve done a lot to keep me off the streets and into my own apartment. All of us rely on it, because without it, it would be impossible to live in the situation we live in,” Hart told WPTV.
He further explained why he felt inclined to advocated for the homeless community.
“If they can’t see it from our perspective, then most likely, they may not be willing to help us. The people that we work with, they don't go through what we go through, so I feel like it only makes sense for us, the youth, to come and speak up," he said. If we don't speak up, how are they going to know how serious we are about this problem?”
"You want to see what we do? That’s the impact right there,” Ayala added.
Following the discussions, county commissioners requested that the Coalition return with a more detailed breakdown of their operations.
The coalition stated they are currently working on planning two of its major fundraising events of the year: the Lewis Luncheon and the Mayors Ball.
In response to inquiries about a controversial proposal from county commissioners to host the Mayor’s Ball at Mar-a-Lago, coalition representatives noted that a venue has not yet been selected but that they are actively collecting quotes from various locations, including Mar-a-Lago, as per county commission requests.
