I saw a very frustrating quote in last week’s Miami Times that I’d like to call out. The City of Miami is doubling down on their homeless sweeps in an effort to get the city’s homeless population under control.
The quote was, “Ron Book, chairman of the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust, insisted that the city’s estimated unsheltered population of 555 is the lowest since August 2014.”
Really?!?! 555 unsheltered in Miami??? I’m calling B.S.
According to the FDLE database there are 447 (yes, four hundred forty-seven) people required to register as sex offenders living homeless in the City of Miami. Here’s the list: Miami Homeless
They are forced into homelessness because of Miami-Dade’s Sex Offender Residency Restriction, called the Lauren Book Child Safety Ordinance (yes, Lauren Book is Ron Book’s Daughter).
So, 446 out of 555 unsheltered in the City of Miami are people forced to register???? That’s more than 80%!
Either the homeless trust is grossly inaccurate in their estimate or FAC has a solution to instantly reduce the homeless population in Miami by 80%… Repeal the Lauren Book Child Safety Ordinance!
Being unable to log into the FB (banned as are so many others) account to make a comment, I emailed the Editor. Here is what I sent.
To the Editors,
Erik Bojnansky Miami Times Senior Writer did not take the time to do the homework, and answer the question WHY ARE THERE SO MANY HOMELESS. The story should be re-released with UPDATED and CORRECT information. Follow up stories need to be written and made public. The Miami-Dade Homeless problem deserves your attention and assistance.
Ask the ACLU what numbers they find, ask the local shelters what numbers they find, ask the local churches, and THEN look for yourself. Of the 555 that Mr Book shared are homeless, 432 are on the FDLE site as Registered Persons in a “Transient Status”…. or homeless. Using any information offered from the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust is a waste of time, unless compared to other sources. Ron Book and Sen L Book are both riding the wave of how to generate a TON of revenue under public safety and enjoy the huge revenue the public safety train provides.
Sen Book and Ron Book are the driving reason sooooooo many individuals in that area are homeless. Every year Sen Book and her associates add or increase the number of restrictions, limitations placed against Registered Citizens under the guise of Public Safety. IF the restrictions placed against where registered citizens can live were removed, the number of persons who could live at home with their family or loved ones or just in a safe location would be greatly increased and thereby the homeless numbers would overnight drop drastically. Forcing hundreds of persons to be homeless can not be in anyone’s best interest or public safety.
Reach out to organizations like Florida Action Committee (FAC) or ONCEFALLEN.COM and ask for input on what can be done to positively impact the forced homeless situation in the Miami-Dade area. I think you will find the villians in this story are the not the homeless, but the persons in charge of the organizations keeping the homeless … homeless. Once you have the rest of the story, it is your responsibility to share that story.
OR, just write stories that continue to spread lies and mis-information.
I hope I did not overstep, but felt the need to add to the comments the Editor receives. The story has gotten 2 comments in one week. Maybe we can all take a moment to email the Editor and say something.
Nice to see someone back me up on my claims.
I’d like to remind folks that even this number is a bit of a misnomer, as 107 Registrants are listed at 18201 SW 12th St., Miami, FL 33194-2700, i.e., the Krome Detention Center when I made a similar count last week.
We know the Books are pathological liars and all but even if the homeless population is above the 555 Ronald “Stagger Lee” Book claims, the 447 number is still a significant chunk of the overall homeless problem.
Thanks to whoever put together the list of the 447 homeless registrants.
This is the evidence we need in court.
Court’s already aware of homeless registrants, I’m pretty sure.
448.
We have over a thousand of homeless here in Salem, OR – a city of 150,000. There is no way Miami only has 555. Complete B.S.
It is akll about how the numbers are presented. Here’s another quote from a Miami Times article from 3/3/21:
“Thanks to the Homeless Trust and its partners, insisted Book, Miami-Dade County’s unsheltered homeless population has shrunk from 8,000 in 1992 to 3,245 in January 2021. Of those 3,245 individuals, the Homeless Trust stated that only 892 remain unsheltered. The remaining 2,353 are in emergency shelters, safe haven spaces or transitional housing.”
Considering FAC made a count a couple of years back and came up with a similar number, it is safe to say the homeless registrant population number is pretty consistantly in the mid 400s.
I doubt any registrants benefitted from any recent effiorts to address the “unsheltered” population.
Derek,
Don’t confuse the city of Miami with Miami-Dade County. One is the county and the other is the city.
I’m not. When I made my count I included the entire county because if I didn’t, Hialeah and other suburbs would not count, obviously. The Miami-Dade Homeless Trust covers the entire county. But I’m limited to what the Homeless Trust claims since they are the “authority” on the homeless population for the city of Miami and Miami-Dade County, hence the quote above.
I don’t have all the exact numbers but I do know that homelessness is a problem in every city . The population of Kansas City , total including immediate outlying areas is about one and a half million. I’d say Miami is larger than that. The homeless is estimated at 2,000 in KC. Recently they just cut that number by 25% they are putting up 500 in temporary motel rooms while they are working on finding employment and permanent housing for them. Motels are struggling now because of the pandemic. There are absolutely no division of those on the registry and those not. They were able to get some Federal assistance to help in this endeavor. There goal is to get the mental help for all that will allow it . And find work for all capable of holding down a job. With free public transportation for all needing it to get to work and home. There are things that can be done if there is any human compassion and a real desire to help.
I forgot to add that is in addition to the mini housing project , which any veterans are eligible for. So there are no homeless veterans as long as they want to take advantage of it. Also many other charitable organizations that provide food clothing and anything else for there needs . The city is looking into providing land plots with facilities to help for there need till permanent arrangement are made.