DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The city of Daytona Beach wants to build a safe harbor house to help get homeless people off the streets, especially those who wander the city's downtown area.
Some business owners said the idea must become a reality because the homeless are hurting their business.
"It's been a problem I've always dealt with ever since I've been open," said Tammy Kozinski, a business owner on Beach Street.
About 2,000 homeless people are within the county every night and less than 100 beds, officials said. According to Daytona Beach's Downtown Development Authority, the problem needs to be addressed.
Taxpayers are also being affected by the issue. In all, 50 homeless people in the county have been arrested nearly 6,200 times, costing taxpayers $12 million, officials said.
Once they're released from jail, many of the homeless often end up sleeping on public benches, according to officials.
"The perception is the area isn't safe because of the homeless, and perception is reality," Kozinski said.
Kozinski and other businesses said the problem mostly stems from the location of homeless services along Beach Street and a shelter that's simply miles away would easily solve the issue.
"It makes more sense than putting them in our downtown area, a revitalization area that we're not revitalizing as well as we could be," Kozinski said.
The mayor of Daytona Beach said there's not a set date as to when they will build the facility, but he hopes it will be sometime in the next two years.
Pinellas County opened up a similar shelter in St. Petersburg a couple years ago, and within six months, the homeless population within the city's downtown area dropped by 80 percent, officials said.
WFTV
