http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-887616.mp3
Tallahassee, FL – The homelessness workshop hosted by Tallahassee Mayor John Marks drew a crowd to city hall Thursday. As Margie Menzel reports, the group developed a plan - and some momentum.
The workshop featured Barbara Poppe, executive director of the U.S. Council on Homelessness. The Obama Administration has tasked her with developing a federal strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness, which Poppe said goes to Congress on May 20. She urged the roughly 80 attendees to build a strong local coalition with good data and measurable goals.
"You have public will to create the plan, you have a mayor who's engaged, but how are you going to sustain it?" she asked. "Well, I think first of all, you have to be a community that says, "This is our moral foundation. It is simply unacceptable that anyone in our county, in our community, would ever experience homelessness." And have that be the centerpiece to it."
Participants then broke into groups to develop recommendations, which will be posted on the city's web site. Marks said the next meeting will be on Mar. 31.