Mayor details homeless outreach gains and a county-backed mental health pilot

Mayor Keith James described expansions to the city's homeless outreach and a new mental-health intervention pilot with the county.

"When I first came in the office we had one person on a homeless outreach team. Within my first term of office we increased that number from one to 10 full-time employees," James said, describing a larger street outreach effort that makes daily contacts with people experiencing homelessness.

He gave a series of program metrics: the homeless outreach team successfully housed or sheltered 302 chronically homeless individuals, reconnected 75 people through the city's Home Rebound program, provided 156 individuals with mental-health or substance-abuse services, and conducted 2,743 engagements in parks, neighborhoods and other targeted locations.

James also described a pilot program launched with the Healthcare District of Palm Beach County to provide assistance to people who do not meet the threshold for a Baker Act but still require support. He said the pilot has helped 55 people so far and that the county provided some funding for the effort. "As this initiative evolves we aim to someday establish a one‑stop facility to address a range of quality-of-life issues," he said.

The mayor framed homeless outreach as a combination of services and individualized engagement, and he credited the outreach team with practical outcomes including arranging hospital discharges and transport plans back to family members or shelters.

Ending: James said the city’s approach balances empathy and enforcement and called continued partnership across agencies and nonprofits essential to reduce homelessness and support vulnerable residents.