DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — In an effort to alleviate the homeless issue in Daytona Beach, the Volusia County Council voted 4-2 Thursday to appropriate $4.5 million to construct a shelter on Red John Drive.
While the move was lauded by many, some people questioned the location of the new shelter.
“I see a lot of people in wheelchairs with one leg and they can’t really get around good, so I don’t know if it will help them if it is far, far away,” said Eric Shaw, who lives in Daytona Beach but is homeless.
If a homeless person is picked up on Beach Street, it would take about 20 minutes to drive them to the 100-bed shelter.
Daytona Beach city Ccommissioner Aaron Delgado did not believe the distance would be an issue, though, because there are bus routes that already carry passengers to the area of the new shelter.
Police in Daytona Beach also make the trip to Red John Drive, which is also the area where the Volusia County Jail is located, Delgado said.
“I don’t anticipate it is going to take a tremendous number of officers out of service,” he said. “That’s a route they are going to be taking anyway.”
Plans for the new facility also calls for a shuttle service to help pick up and transport people to the homeless shelter.
Now that funding for the shelter has been approved, city and county officials said they hope to have the facility up and running by the end of the year.