Pasco County FL undermines work to help the homeless

County undermines work to help the homeless
In Print: Thursday, May 10, 2012

Pasco County's official position on aiding the homeless is now crystal clear: hypocrisy.

Tuesday morning, Pasco commissioners honored two groups, Artists for Humanity and the Leadership Pasco Class of 2012, for their separate attempts to benefit homeless veterans and to finance a mobile medical van providing health care to the homeless. Yet, several hours later, a commission majority killed a homeless shelter in east Pasco, giving it one year to shut down its operations after denying it permission to operate permanently.

In the fight against homelessness, buying a ticket to a fundraiser is easier than buying into an attempt for a more permanent solution.

Commissioners Ted Schrader, Jack Mariano and Henry Wilson turned down a request from Chancey Road Christian Church to operate a permanent shelter on its 4.5 acres west of Zephyrhills. Then, Wilson and Mariano voted to shutter the place immediately, but they were out-voted by Schrader, Pat Mulieri and Ann Hildebrand, who agreed to give the church one year to wind down its shelter operations.
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