Mission Statement

The Southernmost Homeless Assistance League (SHAL) is Monroe County's community coalition dedicated to the special needs of people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

SHAL's mission is to plan, facilitate, coordinate, advocate for, and support all community efforts that address homelessness in Monroe County.

2010 Board of Directors Directory

2009 - 2010 Continuum of Care Details

2009 - 2010 Bed Inventory for  Monroe County

About SHAL

Currently, services and shelter for the homeless are provided through the agency and governmental members of the Southernmost Homeless Assistance League (SHAL), an incorporated federal 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt organization that meets monthly to plan and prioritize around homeless issues.

Every year, SHAL conducts a point-in-time census to document the number of homeless people in the county.  The last census was held January 27, 2009 and found a total of 1,040 individuals experiencing homelessness.  While the number of homeless individuals continues to remain stable, this number is a significant reduction from the 2,151 people in 2002, which is evidence that programs currently in place are working.  Especially, the full utilization Poinciana Plaza, former Navy property that transferred to the City of Key West and now offers transitional and permanent residential facilities for homeless individuals and families with special needs.  

History

SHAL originated from a task force comprised of human service agencies and homeless advocates. This task force organized to seek transfer of excess Navy property to the community for reutilization as homeless housing and service facilities (PLAN 1999 Task Force). In response to a June 1996 Notification of Availability of Excess Navy property, the PLAN 1999 Task Force submitted a Notice of Interest to the Key West City Commission, sitting as the Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA). The PLAN 1999 Task Force was successful in its bid to represent the interests of the homeless provider and advocacy community in the base reuse plan submitted, establishing the foundation for future negotiations for the Navy property with 14 nonprofit human service agencies. Recognizing the need for a more formal organizational structure, the Task Force membership incorporated under the name of Southernmost Homeless Assistance League, Inc. (SHAL) in 1998 and secured tax-exempt status under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code by January 1999.

The genesis of an organized effort to address homelessness in the Florida Keys started in 1986. At that time, a grass roots organization emerged specifically to acknowledge the existence of the homeless in Monroe County and to begin to address the problems associated with homelessness in the community. The group – including representation from courts, clergy, human services agencies, City and County law enforcement, homeless, and media – met monthly. The group incorporated in 1992 as the Florida Keys Outreach Coalition Inc. (FKOC), dedicating itself solely to serving homeless individuals and families in Monroe County. FKOC is one of the 27 board members overseeing SHAL.

The City of Key West entered into a formal agreement with SHAL to be the planning body for the development of Poinciana Plaza and the body responsible for selecting housing and service providers for the site through a competitive process (SHAL’s recommendations are subject to final approval by the City of Key West Commission as the LRA; KWHA (a SHAL director) leases Poinciana Plaza from the City of Key West and, in turn, subleases the Poinciana Plaza property to organizations recommended by SHAL and approved by the City Commission. Poinciana Plaza is now an essential component of the community’s CoC, offering 198 housing units that were previously unavailable in the county.

In 2009, the agencies comprising SHAL provide housing for over 600 people a night. SHAL typically brings into Monroe County each year approximately $2.4 million through State and Federal funds to serve those in need.

Myth:
Homeless in the Keys are all single men that just need to get a job.

Fact:
Families constitute a large and growing percentage of the homeless population nationwide and in Monroe County.
Monroe County has only two units designated for homeless intact families. 55% of the men at the Keys Overnight Temporary Shelter (KOTS) work full-time.