Did You Know...?
Homelessness among women – and particularly single women with children – continues to grow, with 233 women counted in 2008, up from 187 in 2007. The number of women found on the street or in the woods in the past five years has more than doubled, from 21 in 2003 to 47 in 2008. The number of men found on the street or in the woods in the past year nearly tripled, from 124 to 348.
What is the GRACE Marketplace?
The GRACE Marketplace will bring nearly a dozen key service agencies together under one roof to in a collaborative effort to offer supportive services in a "One-Stop" setting. The site will have room for expansion, and ultimately will offer hundreds of additional transitional and supportive housing beds for individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness and back toward self-sufficiency.
A One Stop Center
Most people who are homeless need a variety of support services, such as housing assistance, medical care and job training. In Alachua County there are 30 resources that provide some element of care and support for the homeless population. Yet homeless individuals might not be able to get all those services because they can not travel to all the places around town that provide the services. Grace Marketplace will knit together the services needed by people who are homeless into one place.
The city, county and private partners have recognized the need for a one stop shop and provided $300,000 towards the facility, due to open in 2008.
The advantages to the Grace Marketplace One Stop Center are:
- A computerized tracking system allows for more successful case management.
- Case managers and support personnel can meet regularly to discuss the needs of each client.
- Simplification reduces city and county costs due to duplication of effort.
- Increased access to health care services, including physical, dental, mental and substance abuse.
