ON A "CAMPUS" in Florida, 500 homeless men, each given just a blanket and pillow. spend an average of three months sleeping on the cement floor of an open-air pavilion in 4' x 6' "human parking spaces." In another Florida campus, participants who are willing to sleep on the floor of a large, 500-person outdoor pavilion for up to three months may be moved to the comfort of an indoor, 20bed dormitory, where they can access needed support services. The idea behind these campuses and others across the country is to remove as many homeless people as possible from downtown streets. Usually. these homeless campuses serve as large warehouse facilities-funded by local government. businesses. and private donations-where homeless persons can receive emergency shelter and, sometimes, support services. Often. the campuses are purposely tucked away from downtown. Residents, business owners, and tourists, uncomfortable at the presence of the homeless, support moving them away from downtown. These feelings often apply to homeless resource centers such as soup kitchens and housing facilities. For years, organizations dedicated to assisting the less fortunate have fought a growing sense of NIMBY (not in my backyard) and anti-homelessness ordinances.
Newspaper