• 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

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

"...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.

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.

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.

“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.

“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.

Hi Sonya — Hope this message finds you and the gang at The Source well. Please feel free to list me as an endorser of Camp Haven — Diane Mahan, Director, Kidz Closet Charities. It would be my honor and privilege to stand with you and help support your incredible vision!
xo diane

Why would Kidz Closet Charities, which provides clothing and diapers for needy children, endorse a housing program that will only serve adults? Diane’s reply:

Many of us are familiar with Gandhi’s quote “be the change you want to see in the world.” The Source is the change, the visionary, and the problem solver who will bring about positive solutions for the homeless in our community.

Over the past few years, many of us who are involved with Kidz Closet Charities have had the privilege of visiting The Source on a regular basis. You learn a lot about an agency when you continually drop in unannounced, delivering requested items such as jeans, maternity clothing or diapers. Our volunteers have witnessed some very special, life-changing interactions at The Source. I have witnessed first-hand small and large miracles and have seen lives transformed.

What is truly unique about The Source is the genuine concern and regard for the dignity of each individual in need. Every individual that walks through the doors of The Source is made to feel that they and their life situation are important and validated.

The mission of Kidz Closet Charities is to connect local resources with local needs. Over time, The Source has taught all of us at Kidz Closet Charities that our greatest “local resource” is not necessarily children’s clothing but one another – our human connection.

The Source is on the front line of the issue of homelessness, unemployment, underemployment, addiction, mental illness, and despair and is fighting the battle often times with little support from the community. It is imperative that all of us in the community – non-profits, community leaders, businesses, churches, civic groups, politicians, police, and residents – come together and support the vision of Camp Haven. It is the right thing to do.

As reported yesterday on NPR and Florida Today, Brevard County Commission Chairman Robin Fisher is advocating a plan to convert a county park into a tent city for people without a permanent place to live.

You can read the full report here.

1. Cost - In today’s economic climate, we must be realistic about the funding that will be needed to create and sustain a legitimate housing program. Building a camp makes economic sense, both in terms of the initial capital investment required and the ongoing annual maintenance costs. (On a side note, we are not seeking tax dollars to create this housing program. Camp Haven will be privately funded and will actually result in a savings of your tax dollars.)
2. Responsibility - Instead of sleeping on a bunk in a dormitory-style setting, Camp Haven residents will have a place to call their own. Even though the place will be a simple tent, and even though their stay will be temporary, private living quarters will help to foster a sense of ownership. Ownership induces people to act responsibly.
3. Deficit Motivation - While Camp Haven will offer a safe, legal place for people to sleep, it will be no Taj Mahal. Think Boy Scouts. Camp Haven will be safe, clean, and relatively comfortable, but the rustic environment will help to ensure that motivation remains high to exit the program to independent living.