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Residents press council on homelessness, warn against "clean and safe" park privatization
Summary
Multiple residents and faith leaders urged the council to prioritize housing-first outreach and criticized proposals tied to business improvement districts and private security, saying such measures would displace vulnerable people from downtown parks.
Dozens of St. Petersburg residents used the council’s open-forum period to challenge enforcement-based approaches to downtown safety and to urge more investment in housing and street outreach.
Reverend Andy Oliver, pastor of Allendale United Methodist Church, said last week’s discussion of a proposed Clean and Safe program revealed ‘‘vitriol’’ toward unhoused neighbors and urged relationship-based outreach rather than criminalization. "We call them human," Oliver said, arguing policies should reflect "housing-first strategies, and mental health resources, not more systems that criminalize poverty."
Faith-involved speakers including Dylan Dames and Jay James warned against privatizing parks or empowering a downtown business improvement district (BID) to administer public space, saying such moves can create exclusionary rules and remove benches or seating used by vulnerable residents. "Public parks are for the public," Dames said, calling the BID framing a potential vehicle for displacement.
Tenant and housing advocates raised similar concerns. William Kilgore (St. Pete Tenants Union) described how BIDs can vest private owners with de facto control of public spaces and urged the city to invest in staffed outreach and public-works maintenance instead of private security. "We don't need private security people walking around policing public spaces like that," Kilgore said.
Other commenters urged more accessible downtown spaces — benches, shade and public restrooms — as practical measures to discourage dangerous conditions while allowing people to remain in public spaces safely.
What councilmembers said: Councilmembers thanked speakers and repeatedly emphasized support for outreach and housing programs. Several members noted the need to balance business and resident needs but signaled interest in prioritizing services over enforcement. The exchange did not produce an immediate formal policy change; council is considering referrals and committee discussions on related items.
Why it matters: The debate frames how St. Petersburg will approach street safety and downtown management as it develops recovery programs and considers partnerships with private property owners. Community groups pressed the point that enforcement-led programs risk pushing people into more precarious conditions rather than addressing root causes like housing and mental health access.
