After a process that took almost a decade, Jon DeCarmine founded the Grace Marketplace in Gainesville, FL, in 2014. The marketplace serves as a low-barrier shelter and one-stop location for services aimed at ending homelessness.
Since opening its doors, the shelter has housed almost 3,000 people, served more than 20,000 people, and served over one million meals. Grace Marketplace uses the Housing First approach, which recognizes that stable, permanent housing is the only solution to ending homelessness. Each Grace Marketplace guest is assigned a housing case manager to work with on an individual level to find housing that best fits their needs. This has led to a 40% decrease in the number of people living on the streets in Alachua County.
Jon DeCarmine also consults around the country on how communities can better address visible homelessness and get people permanently housed. No two communities are the same, as they all have a unique set of barriers, demographics and budget restrictions.
What are realistic shelter solutions for Pensacola? How can we replicate or build something similar here?
Jon DeCarmine will be speaking at the Wesley Abbey Building of First United Methodist Church on Monday, May 13, from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Wesley Abbey is the white building on the corner of Wright and Palafox. Please also note the earlier start time of this event.
