FAQ – Who will be eligible for Camp Haven?

Posted on February 17, 2012 by

In order to enroll in the Camp Haven Program, a person must first demonstrate motivation and determination to rise out of homelessness. Candidates will undergo a rigorous assessment and interview process before being admitted. Camp Haven program participants will be:

  • Indian River County residents only
  • Homeless couples or single men and women over the age of 18
  • Screened for psychological fitness, health, substance abuse, and criminal history
  • Engaged in camp governance, maintenance, and compliant with camp rules
  • Willing to implement self-sufficiency plans and work 1-1 with a care manager
  • Active in appropriate programs and services provided by a coalition of local agencies
  • Eligible regardless of religious affiliation or proclamation
Posted in FAQ | Leave a comment

Event to launch the Camp Haven Project

Posted on January 5, 2012 by
Be part of the group that helps launch the Build Camp Haven campaign!

Be part of the group that helps launch the Build Camp Haven campaign!

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Camp Nativity

Posted on December 14, 2011 by
"...because there was no room for them at the inn."

"...because there was no room for them at the inn."

I can’t help but think of all my beautiful friends with no safe place to sleep at night. Please support Camp Haven.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The Address of the New Homeless

Posted on October 7, 2011 by
1015 Commerce Avenue is the address of The Source. We are not permitted to shelter people. Exception is made only in cases of extreme weather, as determined cooperatively with the Indian River County Emergency Management Division.

With no other shelter options available to individuals or couples without minor children, becoming homeless in Indian River County means living in your car or sleeping in the woods.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

FAQ – If you build it, will they come?

Posted on September 2, 2011 by

Camp Haven is intended to serve Indian River County residents, so I can appreciate the concern that building this program may attract more homeless to our community. Our research reveals specific measures that are highly effective in preventing this from occurring. We have chosen to adopt these measures.

  1. Residency requirement - The most effective measure is the establishment of a residency requirement that is consistently enforced. A Camp Haven candidate will have to provide proof that they have been a resident of Indian River County for at least ninety days. (Clients currently being served by The Source have an average residency of 13 years, with 60% of the displaced being homeless less than three months.) They must also consent to the following:
  2. Established rules - A strict set of guidelines will provide accountability and order for Camp Haven, i.e., curfew, appropriate behavior, no drugs/alcohol, random screenings… A resident must also be willing to work and contribute to the success of the camp in very tangible ways, including groundskeeping and chores.
  3. Expected emergence from homelessness - Camp Haven is a program only appropriate for those who intend to rise out of homelessness. Camp Haven will provide up to six months of transitional housing, during which time residents will establish a self-sufficiency plan, find/maintain gainful employment, demonstrate progress with the support of a care manager, and save the funds needed to move back into a home of their own.
Posted in FAQ | 2 Comments

homeless couple

Posted on August 20, 2011 by

This e-mail arrived in my inbox yesterday at 4:54pm:

“I am searching for help for a homeless young married couple. They live in Vero Beach and just lost their home and his job. Do you know of any place that is open now besides the two I know of (Samaritans and Homeless Family)?”

My reply was delivered after a sobering pause and a long, deep breath.

Unfortunately, no. (And the shelters she mentions only house families with minor children.) Also unfortunate is the number of times this scenario is played out, week after week.

The current unemployment rate in Indian River County is 13.8%, far exceeding the national average of 9.1%. In this highly competitive market, residents who find themselves jobless discover that landing a new job is exceedingly difficult. Finding one that pays a living wage is even more challenging. Often, losing your job means losing your home. And with no shelter options in Indian River County, this couple found themselves on the street.

On their behalf, and on behalf of so many like them, help us build Camp Haven.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Out of Reach 2011

Posted on August 6, 2011 by

Renters Await the Recovery is the underscore of this year’s report, released June 2011.

“Though it is often overlooked, millions of Americans struggled to meet their housing needs prior to the current economic crisis… Harvard researchers have also concluded that the affordability problems are expanding up the income scale. What was once mostly concentrated among the lowest-income families is now affecting more lower middle- and middle-income renters – teachers, first responders, health-care workers, and retail employees.”

Data for Indian River County included in this year’s Out of Reach report:

  • A renter needs to earn $18.46 per hour in order to afford a two-bedroom unit at the Fair Market Rent in IRC.
  • The average renter wage in IRC in 2011 is $10.95.
    This means the average renter must work 67 hours per week, 52 weeks per year to afford a two-bedroom unit at FMR.
  • The current minimum wage is $7.31 per hour.
    This means a minimum wage earner must work 101 hours per week, 52 weeks per year to afford the same.

An individual who becomes homeless in this county has no safe, legal shelter options. Camp Haven presents our community with a crossroads. This is an opportunity to either take an important step forward or to neglect those in genuine need.

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments