Homeless people in Daytona Beach are refusing to leave a government building that county leaders were forced to shut down.
Channel 9’s Shannon Butler confronted a county commissioner over why the issue still hasn’t been fixed.
Seventeen people have taken the city’s offer to go to the Salvation Army, where 46 beds are available, which means Monday night, Tuesday and likely many days after that, dozens of homeless people will sit in front of the county administration building until something is done.
The property appraiser shut down the building, because he said one of his employees was accosted outside.
The county is in the process of shutting down the rest of the officers inside the administration building because if one closes, they all have to.
“I think the incident was blown out of proportion,” said Volusia County Commissioner Joshua Wagner.
The only way to solve the issue, Wagner said, is to give the homeless somewhere to go.
The Salvation Army is just one part of the solution.
“I don’t know what we are going to do. To me, it’s simply something we can get done tomorrow,” said Wagner.
The commissioner said there is money for a second shelter.
The city could use the Community Redevelopment Area money and eventually could have a permanent shelter.
