Community Care Court Offers a Path to Housing Instead of Jail Time

Since it launched in Sarasota in January 2019, Gulf Coast Community Foundation has supported Community Care Court through its Adult Homelessness Initiative. Community Care Court was the first of its kind in the state of Florida. It is designed to help individuals arrested for non-violent crimes related to their homelessness find a path to housing instead of jail.

Community Care Court invites individuals suffering from homelessness to develop a case plan that will lead to housing rather than jail time. Community Care Court provides access to social service organizations that can assist individuals in improving their health, housing, and employment opportunities. Those organizations currently include Alcoholics Anonymous, Centerstone, CenterPlace Health, First Step of Sarasota, Goodwill Manasota, Narcotics Anonymous, Resurrection House, Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness, the city and county of Sarasota’s Homeless Outreach Teams, and The Salvation Army of Sarasota. The goal is to assist individuals in permanently ending their homelessness.

Gulf Coast Community Foundation supported the launch of a Community Care Court Case Manager position to help individuals connect to housing and implement their case plan. In 2022, community partners determined a full-time case manager was needed. The case manager, Susan, has now been hired by Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness. Susan is building relationships with the court-involved individuals experiencing homelessness. She advocates for the clients, helps them develop a plan to end their homelessness, and supports them every step of the way in connecting to services. “I strive to achieve a productive working relationship with each person.  Because we meet weekly, I can build trust which allows clients to become more open to services and more likely to follow through with the steps required,” said Susan. “I remind them we are working together to make positive changes to their lives and get them moving on a pathway to housing stability which is the ultimate goal.”

The results are palpable. At a recent court date, there were 60 individuals on the Community Care Court Docket. Susan’s case load is always over 20, and on average she works with about 25 people at a time. To date, Susan has a 56% success rate of individuals achieving permanent housing or enrolling in a rapid rehousing program and having their charges dropped. Nine individuals successfully completed the program at the last court date. All individuals have misdemeanors or city ordinance violations, and no felonies. It usually takes a few months for individuals to follow through on the case plan and identify housing.

Gulf Coast Community Foundation knows the critical need for housing for those who lack shelter. For several years, Gulf Coast has committed to addressing the root causes of homelessness. Working together with nonprofit partners, community stakeholders, the judiciary, and government agencies, Gulf Coast will continue the fight for housing for all.