[Fenster]

Originally Posted by LivingOnSunshine

Whatever. So not posting every day on every subject makes any post less true or less impactful? What’s your point? You want confirmation? Come sit at the base of the bridge.

Exactly. Many of the people who post constantly usually contribute nothing useful.

[Altavia]

There were a couple of sheriff's cars in the area this morning.

[coffeebean]

Originally Posted by Oldragbagger

Don’t think you’re immune, because you’re not. The first homeless person I ever saw in The Villages was laying on the ground behind the shopping center next to the Villages Health at Pinellas. North or south doesn’t figure into it. If there is some imaginary line on the ground they don’t see it.

The only homeless people I have ever seen, living in The Villages, are the people who stand on the corner of 441 outside of Walmart. They have signs asking for help. I have not seen any camps of any sort and do not wish to see them either. My bubble does not include homeless people camping anywhere.

[coffeebean]

Originally Posted by clouwho

It is NOT just down south.
Twice in the past month I have seen the same clearly unstable and clearly homeless woman wandering on canal street and lurking at the postal stations. She slept at the Largo pool one night

I was referring to camps where there are several homeless people taking up residence. That seems to be a problem along the Turnpike as I read this thread, not in the northern sections.

[Love2Swim]

Originally Posted by merrymini

There are plenty of safety nets in our society but many of the people who live out on the streets are unwilling to use them. Mentally ill or drug addicted, they do not possess the right to impinge on everyone else. That is why California is having such a problem, they let them shoot up on the streets, no problem, so they are importing addicts.

They are called mentally ill for a reason. Oftentimes they just aren't able to take advantage of safety nets, they are barely able to navigate their existence on this planet.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by coffeebean

I was referring to camps where there are several homeless people taking up residence. That seems to be a problem along the Turnpike as I read this thread, not in the northern sections.

I would think the turnpike, especially near the Okahumpka plaza would be an ideal location-----proximity to restrooms, food, plenty of foot traffic to panhandle, vehicles to steal from and best of all they provide security at night

[manaboutown]

Homeless bums will go wherever they are tolerated and can beg and steal for alcohol, drugs and food without paying any consequences. If even a few are tolerated it will soon turn into a blight which at some point will be almost impossible to control and literally ruin the community for decent law-abiding taxpaying folk. I have seen it happen where I lived and worked.

[shut the front door]

Gather them up and have them congregate near Villages open houses. I bet that would motivate the developer to do something!

[vintageogauge]

There are plenty of homeless people living in the norther villages. Just recently a group was removed form a village home that is in foreclosure, they have camps off of Rolling Acres Road and I have also seen them camped along the road east of 301 across from where the new Dairy Queen was built. They usually stay on the fringes to avoid being hassled but are getting a little more brazen going into vacant homes or sleeping on lanais. There will be more now as cold weather sends them south.

[orchidlady22]

I suggest strongly that this matter be remedied FAST. Witnessed with my own eyes what can happen if ignored. It will grow into tent city. The American people need to see what is growing in California....from a few homeless to millions! with drugs, alcohol, crime, disease & filth! I am not exaggerating.

[Larchap49]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

Well some of them may be snowbirds too. Follow the weather.

[Larchap49]

Originally Posted by ldovermiller

Perhaps have 20/20, 60 minutes TV shows come in and have them do a story that will draw attention on a National basis. The Villages needs to start acting like they care about the monster they created. The police are just as bad. Find a reason NOT to do their job. However, why does Sumter County Sheriff have a patrol car parked at the new apartment complex on Rte 466 going toward Rolling 24/7? THEY SIT ON PROPERTYTHAT IS PRVIATE !!!!! Somebody is getting special attention .....WHY

Off duty paid by the owner to guard her gate 24/7

[LAFwUs]

Originally Posted by manaboutown

Homeless bums will go wherever they are tolerated and can beg and steal for alcohol, drugs and food without paying any consequences. If even a few are tolerated it will soon turn into a blight which at some point will be almost impossible to control and literally ruin the community for decent law-abiding taxpaying folk. I have seen it happen where I lived and worked.

Sadly, you are 100% correct.
Anyone who is under the delusion that they cannot set root here or on the edges of "the bubble" (which will effect the bubble) is completely delusional.
The more "help" that is extended, the more that will show up. Guaranteed. Its just how it is.
One only has to google / youtube search "homeless tent city" after typing in any given large city (San Francisco, CA., Portland, OR, Philly, PA, LA,CA, Seattle ,WA) the later of which we experienced 1st hand, to understand how fast and nearly insurmountable the problem can become, literally overnight, before anyone realizes it. This is to not even touch in the political aspect of it all, and the do-gooders that will sweep in to protect & harbor them, even if it goes against your rights, ,wishes or needs.

Also, it needs to be understood that there are "temporarily homeless" type (people just down on their luck who need/want help) and "career homeless" the later of which do not want help or cant/wont utilize any help provided due to lifelong drug/criminal/mental health issues and have no regard for the law, private property rights or anything else for that matter.

[ThirdOfFive]

Originally Posted by orchidlady22

I suggest strongly that this matter be remedied FAST. Witnessed with my own eyes what can happen if ignored. It will grow into tent city. The American people need to see what is growing in California....from a few homeless to millions! with drugs, alcohol, crime, disease & filth! I am not exaggerating.

I wholeheartedly agree. I saw Minneapolis' homeless problem turn much of the beautiful parkland of that city, once ideal family destinations, into places you'd never bring your family--or even go yourself unless you were armed. And as I mentioned in an earlier post, the issue has spilled over onto public lands in high-visibility areas. It is beyond ugly.

It's a sad state of affairs. The bleedingheart advocates care more about the "rights" of the homeless than they do about the WELFARE of the homeless.

[Taltarzac725]

Palm Bay is ‘first step’ in finding solution to homelessness | News | hometownnewsbrevard.com

I followed this man's journey into homelessness with great interest over 100 days or so back in 2014 on Facebook. He lived being homeless.

In 2014, he was voluntarily homeless for nearly 100 days as he embarked on a cross-country research project that was documented on Facebook.

“I have 23 years of experience as a naval officer, three degrees and I couldn’t get out of homelessness,” Mr. Rebman said.

Now, his mission is to educate the public on how “easily this can be solved.”

“Our system is broken and does not allow us to succeed,” Mr. Rebman said. “The secret is education and collaboration and affordable housing. It’s not all substance abuse like we think.”

Mr. Rebman’s mass education campaign started with Palm Bay and was met with a positive response from the city council.

“Palm Bay is the largest community in Brevard County with the least number of facilities for homeless people,” Mr. Rebman said. “For me, Palm Bay is the first step.”

Next, he’ll head to Cocoa and Titusville, and hopes to set up meetings with officials in each of Brevard County’s cities.

For Palm Bay, Mr. Redman proposed three action steps, including the opening of a cold-night shelter before the next cold season, identifying nonprofit and faith organizations in the area to assist with the effort, and consideration by the city to fund case managers like Orlando does.

“Your request is nothing out of the ordinary,” said Mayor William Capote.

And The Villages Daily Sun has done some very good articles on the people up in the Ocala Forest. The facts are often more complicated than people make them out to be.