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Alachua County homeless census disrupted by Trump administration federal grant pause

Samuel Donton, an unhoused Gainesville resident, sits in front of the Civic Media Center in downtown Gainesville on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. "I need them to see me," he said. (Ailish Coughlin/WUFT News)
Samuel Donton, an unhoused Gainesville resident, sits in front of the Civic Media Center in downtown Gainesville on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. "I need them to see me," he said. (Ailish Coughlin/WUFT News)

The annual Alachua County homeless census was thrown into chaos following news of the pause on federal grants and loans by the Trump administration Tuesday.

A federal judge temporarily blocked the pause in federal funding minutes before it was scheduled to go into effect, according to the Associated Press.

The pause threatens the work of the North Central Florida Continuum of Care, which coordinates the Point-in-Time (PIT) Count held at the end of January in north Florida.

Alachua, Bradford, Gilcrest, Levy and Putnam counties undergo a homeless census led by Keys to Home and TaskForce to assess the needs of the unhoused population.

Jacob Torner, vice president of programs and senior PIO at TaskForce, made the announcement of the federal grant freeze on Tuesday morning to excited staffers in a small conference room stocked with strawberry donuts.

“The Point-in-Time count … is funded by these federal grants,” Torner said. “Not only is the Point-in-Time count going to be impacted, countless people across our community — our service providers, such as our emergency shelters, the family organizations who are working to get children off of our streets — they are now at risk of not having the resources that were previously committed by a legally binding contract.”

The loss of federal funding threatens the organizations’ free health clinics, expansion plans, agriculture department and education programs.

“We know our PIT Count is working right now to identify what the needs are, but absent the resources to address those needs, it makes you wonder ‘well, how will we meet them?’” Torner said.

Torner said that despite the threat to funding, TaskForce and Keys to Home are committed to seeing the count through and to supporting work with federal and state lawmakers to secure all resources.

The North Florida PIT Count was set to proceed as normal on Tuesday in Alachua, Bradford and Putnam counties with 140 unhoused individuals already served by noon.

The census of these counties and the census in Gilchrist and Levy counties, which is scheduled for Thursday, are up in the air in the coming days as the federal grant freeze is disputed.

Friends Lee (left), Brian (center) and Jimmy Smith, unhoused Gainesville residents, posed for a picture in downtown Gainesville, on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (Ailish Coughlin/WUFT News)
Friends Lee (left), Brian (center) and Jimmy Smith, unhoused Gainesville residents, posed for a picture in downtown Gainesville, on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (Ailish Coughlin/WUFT News)

The North Central Florida Continuum of Care has responded to Memo 25-13 with a letter to Rep. Kat Cammack asking for her support to ensure protection of the grants that aid its mission.

The letter was signed by officials with TaskForce, Peaceful Paths Inc. St. Francis House and the North Central Florida Continuum of Care.

As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, the federal grant and loans pause had been blocked by U.S. District Judge Loren K. Alikahn until Monday.

Undisturbed by Memo 25-13, the PIT Count would have proceeded like it did Tuesday with a day through different areas of north Florida serving the local unhoused population, providing resource information and safety bags.

PIT Count volunteers provide Alachua County unhoused people with street cards listing the phone numbers and addresses of local homeless shelters, feeding centers and free health clinics.

In addition, the gray safety bags handed out have a variety of essentials, including water, crackers, tissues, juice, gloves, a beanie, socks, hand sanitizer and other miscellaneous products.

Mark Watson, vice president of Street Outreach at GRACE Marketplace, said it is important to speak to unhoused people being served as you would a neighbor.

“Humor is a great way to break the ice,” Watson said. “It’s just like catching up with your cousin, talk to them like a person.”

Watson has been serving the unhoused community in Gainesville for 10 years. Watson declined to share his personal feelings on the matter of the grant but expressed great concern for what it means for those he has been committed to serving.

Jacob Torner, vice president of programs and senior PIO at TaskForce, delivers a brief on Memo 25-13 on the freeze on federal funding announced by the Trump administration on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (Ailish Coughlin/WUFT News)
Jacob Torner, vice president of programs and senior PIO at TaskForce, delivers a brief on Memo 25-13 regarding the freeze on federal funding announced by the Trump administration on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (Ailish Coughlin/WUFT News)

“If we don’t have people helping unhoused people, then we won't get people housed,” he said.

“Right now, what you see on the streets is what we’ve been able to address, and we’re still not all the way there.”

GRACE Marketplace, at 3055 NE 28th Drive, is one of the homeless shelters listed on the Alachua County street card.

PIT Count staffers are not the only ones bewildered by the recent federal grant freeze.

“That’s just reality,” said Heart, the first name of a Michigan man who said he found himself unhoused in Gainesville following the death of his mother.

Heart reflected on the news of Memo 25-13 as he sat on a street bench in his bright blue hospital scrubs and carrying a cardboard sign that read “I need a beer.”.

“All I have is two dollars and cancer, I care about beer, not a federal grant,” he said.

Heart’s is not a shared reaction.

On a sunny patch of sidewalk on South Main Street, Raymond Colson, Terri and Samuel Donton, who live unhoused Gainesville, responded to the news of the federal grant.

“I’m struggling, struggling, struggling,” said Donton, voice hoarse with frustration. “My situation is so sad, I could cry, but I won’t. There’s no point. I just don’t understand why they let that man (Trump) do this.”

Colson added, “Be my voice, let them know we need help, real help.”

“It’s hard to feel like a real person when they treat you like this,” Terri said. “It’s almost like they’re forcing us to be mentally ill and drug users because they cut us off from our resources that let us be anything else.”

Others on the street expressed a different opinion.

“They (Alachua County homeless resources) need to lose the money,” said Lee, an unhoused Alachua County resident.

Lee described personal dissatisfaction with unhoused organizations associated with the PIT Count. He believes that the loss of funding may be a wake-up call to the “actually important resources for the homeless.”

Lee’s beliefs were echoed by his entourage of Brian and Jimmy Smith, fellow unhoused people.

“There’s nothing trickling down,” said Brian, while petting his pitbull’s stomach.

Ailish is a reporter for WUFT News who can be reached by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org.