As the City of Miami Beach ramped up efforts to help the homeless population on Thursday, citing the extreme heat as a major concern, Roberto Morales answered the call.
Once, the program coordinator at Miami Beach Cares along with other city officials, was approached by a man who needed assistance.
"He didn’t have a shirt on, his shorts were wet, he had just jumped out of the water. He goes, 'I'm tired, I’m tired, can you help?'" Morales said.
Morales said helping connect homeless individuals to permanent supportive housing is an initiative close to his heart. He himself has experienced homelessness, and was able to turn things around 11 years ago with help from resources just like the ones he now offers others.
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For the month of August, the Miami Beach Office of Housing and Community Services' outreach program is getting extra help from other city departments, including the fire department, its ocean rescue division and the Emergency Management Division, to help people experiencing homelessness.
"We’re humans and we can be rich today and poor tomorrow. The economy is up and down and you just never know when you’re vulnerable. You are a client; you are not a suspect to us," Miami Beach Fire Chief Digne Abello said.
The focus is on connecting clients directly to services, including shelter, transportation, job assistance, mental health and substance abuse treatment or family reunification.
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Officials also set up a cooling site in Lummus Park off of 10th Street that's open from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. everyday in August.
According to the Office of Housing and Community Services, from Oct. 1, 2023 to July 31, 2024, the program has facilitated 262 family reunifications and placed 466 unhoused individuals in shelters or housing.
In just the first 11 days of this month, 16 placements and 12 family reunifications took place.
"I had outreach teams come up to me all the time. This gentleman right here," Morales said, motioning to Bo Hall, "used to come visit me on the streets all the time and I'd be like, 'No, not today, not today.' And August 17th, 2013 was that day."
Hall, who is now a homeless liaison for Miami Beach Police Department, is familiar with living on the streets as well.
Now he and Morales use their full circle experience to help others.
"The light doesn’t always turn on the first time, but that’s why we consistently continue to engage individuals here in Miami Beach," said Morales.
