Commissioner Jess Santamaria Hosts Monthly Community Forum

	Commissioner Santamaria welcomed guests at the monthly forum. « Previous | Next »

October 16, 2008

Commissioner Jess Santamaria held his monthly community forum on Wednesday, October 15 at the original Wellington Mall. The topic of the meeting was solving homelessness in Palm Beach County. About 30 residents attended.

Commissioner Santamaria said homelessness is an issue that affects everyone in the county. He added that the county is actively working to end the problem through its “10-year Plan to End Homelessness.”

Assistant County Administrator Jon Van Arnam said the fastest growing segment of the homeless population is families. As part of the 10-year plan, the county is currently examining other cities across the nation and looking at what services  could be implemented here, including a universal intake system,  interim housing, and establishing strategic partnerships with other agencies.

Claudia Tuck,  Director of the Division of Human Services also explained what services Palm Beach County provides to assist the homeless.  She  said most clients that her staff  serves suffer from mental illnesses, substance abuse or are victims of domestic violence.

Other community providers who serve the homeless through local shelters also spoke at the event, including Diana Stanley, Executive Director of The Lord’s Place and Grant Skolnick, CFO and Legal Counsel of Palm Beach Recovery Coalition.