TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Saturday afternoon, the City Walk Urban Mission hosted a town hall to brainstorm ideas on how they can help Tallahassee's homeless if they are forced to shut down.
Ideas ranged from trying to change the city's land-use code for more transitional housing options and to create a media campaign centered around the shelter's clients.
Right now city walk is working to file an appeal on the decision by the city to keep it in its current location on Mahan.
City Walk's permit to operate as a shelter was denied by city staff earlier in March, putting the futures of their homeless clients unknown.
Renee Miller, who operates City Walk, told ABC 27 that they're going to keep holding these informational meetings to try and come up with a permanent solution that will benefit their clients and the communities they work in.
"Those of us who work with this population and those who care decided to have a town hall of our own and to come up with solutions that are the best practices of what we are seeing being out here in the streets, getting our hands dirty, and doing the work that we would go to the commissioners and the powers that be with what we feel as though the people need," said Miller.
People who live near city walk say while they feel for those in need, they don't think their community is the best place for the shelter.
"I believe that for the people that are at the shelter, it's needed. I wish there was more for them to do. I don't feel like they have a purpose when they leave in the morning, and I feel that there's a huge need in our community right now," said Marie Bradley who lives close to the shelter. "We have to take care of these people, but is this the right place? I'm not sure."
City Walk said they will continue to house their clients at their Mahan Drive shelter until the appeal process is finished.
