With limited shelters, could Martin County's homeless be allowed to camp at the Fairgrounds?

Keith Burbank, Treasure Coast Newspapers
·3 min read

MARTIN COUNTY — Joseph Lee Jones lost his mom in a shooting on Thanksgiving Day 2022 and then lost his home. He became one of Martin County's homeless people who struggles nightly to find a place to sleep.

A local group wants to ease that struggle, but needs the county's help

Jones was living with his mom Mattie Jones, he said, and when she died his sister sold his mother's home, forcing him onto the street. He was unable to afford a place on disability income alone, he said.

Jones was "sad" after the shooting, he said.

Martin County has no shelter for men, and homeless people, including women, are camping anywhere they can, hoping police and deputies leave them alone, according to homeless-advocate organization Tent City Helpers.

There's no shelter either for boys 13 and older. Shelters are available for women and children, victims of domestic violence, pregnant women and people suffering from drug and alcohol addiction.

Gail Harvey, president of Tent City Helpers, wants to persuade county officials to allow homeless people, including women and children, to camp at the Martin County Fairgrounds so they can avoid trespassing and arrest.

"No one wants them hanging out," Harvey said.

Tent City Helpers volunteers Jenni Lawton (left) and Jordan Bebout (center) give food to Denisha Pablonis, 41, who is experiencing homelessness, during a weekly distribution Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in the Lowe's Home Improvement shopping plaza in Stuart. "It just takes one crisis or a series of events for things to fall apart quickly for someone," said Bebout. Hot meals from Stuart Church of Christ and supplies from Yaya Por Vida, a Port St. Lucie based nonprofit that helps people in recovery and active substance abuse, were also distributed.

County Commission approval needed

But the Martin County Fair Association leases the land from the county, and the lease prohibits camping, said former association Executive Director Kasey Ingram Mullen, who quit her job Jan. 15.

County and Fair Association officials would have to work together to allow it, Ingram added, and a change to the lease would need County Commission approval, county spokeswoman Martha Ann Kneiss confirmed.

County Commission Chair Harold Jenkins would vote against the idea, he said, because it would attract more homeless people to the area and it's just a "Band-Aid" for the problem.

"We're not going to become San Francisco," Jenkins said. He didn't elaborate.

"It's an impossible situation" for any community, Jenkins added. Commissioners, however, morally support Love and Hope in Action, a religious group that helps indigent and homeless people in Martin County with food, health and safety needs.

County Commissioner Stacey Hetherington, whose district includes the fairgrounds, did not respond to a request for comment.

Another challenge homeless advocates would face, besides getting the county to agree to allow camping at the fairgrounds, is getting each person cleared through security, which is required because children regularly attend events at the fairgrounds, Ingram said.

John O' Rourke, 63, who is experiencing homelessness, eats a hot meal provided by Stuart Church of Christ during Tent City Helpers weekly food and supply distribution Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, behind Burger King along U.S. 1 in Stuart.
John O' Rourke, 63, who is experiencing homelessness, eats a hot meal provided by Stuart Church of Christ during Tent City Helpers weekly food and supply distribution Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, behind Burger King along U.S. 1 in Stuart.

Other support

"Martin County is not the place to be left homeless," said Love and Hope in Action President and CEO Brenda Dickerson.

The county has no homeless shelters for men and lacks in affordable housing, Dickerson added. Commissioners should consider every available piece of property to help, she said.

"Every option should be looked at," she said. "We're always going to have the poor with us."

Hundreds need help

Tent City Helpers President Gail Harvey (left) gives shoes and socks to Monica Ocasio, who is experiencing homelessness, during a weekly food and supply distribution Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, at Memorial Park in Stuart. Hot meals from Stuart Church of Christ and supplies from Yaya Por Vida, a Port St. Lucie based nonprofit that helps people in recovery and active substance abuse, were also distributed.

One day in mid-March, Harvey and other volunteers served 61 people at the eight stops they made to hand out food and supplies to people living on the street.

In 2023, Tent City Helpers served 356 people on the streets of Martin County, giving out 2,268 meals, snack bags and supplies, Harvey said.

Deliveries of meals, snacks and supplies totaled 414 in January and February of 2024 compared to 333 in January and February 2023.

Monica Ocasio was one of those served this year by Tent City Helpers. She favors the idea of allowing homeless residents to use the fairgrounds.

"At least it's start for them," she said.

More: Stuart gives a half-million dollars to nonprofits serving children and the homeless

More: MCSO: Two men arrested after Stuart man found dead Sunday near Stuart Walmart

In addition, an increasing number of women are showing up on the street, Harvey added.

A year ago, Tent City Helpers was serving three or four homeless women, Harvey said. Now, 30% of those it serves are women, she said.

Keith Burbank is TCPalm's watchdog reporter covering Martin County. He can be reached at keith.burbank@tcpalm.com or at 720-288-6882.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Fairgrounds sought as refuge for Martin County's homeless residents