Theresa Lowe

Volunteers set out across Gainesville to places like Grace Marketplace, St. Francis House and downtown Gainesville to survey the homeless Thursday.

Residents of Gainesville's Dignity Village campground prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Matthew.

Over a decade later, Gainesville and Alachua County are still working to eliminate homelessness in the area — their newest initiative is getting people into permanent housing.

Bus passes for homeless have been changed from a year long pass to monthly passes. People were using GRACE Marketplace services from 30 to 60 days. Some of the year long passes were being sold on Craigslist and other websites by homeless people.

GRACE Marketplace is facing a deadline that could determine just how many people it can move to permanent housing. It has raised $2,983 of it's yearly fundraising goal of $25,000 with only nine days left until the cutoff.

Illegal downloads led GRACE Marketplace to turn off free WiFi, but the discovery of an unauthorized router has management investigating other alternatives for providing internet access.

Initial observations Friday indicated homeless people this year were older and frailer than years past.

The City of Gainesville and Alachua County staff want to see how best to fund the Empowerment Center.

Gainesville's City Commission approved a $585,525 budget for improvements that will make 10 campus buildings at the Empowerment Center livable. Residents and volunteers look forward to the changes, but some are concerned by the nearby chaos at Dignity Village.

Grace Marketplace has served the local homeless community for one year. The community is part of a 10-year plan, conceived in 2005, to end homelessness.