MELBOURNE, Fla. — In a five-hour meeting, Melbourne city leaders decided on Tuesday to move forward with plans to help tackle what they’re calling a homeless crisis in the city.

That conversation included several suggestions to address the growing population itself and then re-establish safety for residents.

Officials said they will work toward the eventual closing of the downtown day shelter and soup kitchen, The Daily Bread, and then setting up at least some of its clients in transitional housing while they work for a more permanent facility.

The plans will require a lot of work and will not be completed right away, officials said.

The Daily Bread on East Fee Avenue has been the center of complaints for a while from residents in the area who say not only is the homeless population growing, but there is a constant flow of people day in and day out in their neighborhood, hanging around the soup kitchen.

The meeting was filled with complaints from some community members that the draw of homeless that the soup kitchen brings in and the safety concerns.

 “Our main staff member that gets there at 6 a.m. has called multiple times about people sleeping at our front door. The cops come; they refuse to leave. They finally do leave, and they go to the property next door,” said a Melbourne resident. 

The Daily Bread agreed with the city's plan and also proposed that it would close its soup kitchen to stop the draw of the homeless to downtown. The group also proposed it would focus its efforts on solutions to affordable housing.

Officials with The Daily Bread stated during the Tuesday night meeting that the affordable-housing project would be called the Providence Place Facility, and it would come with anywhere from 70 to 120 units.

In a previous Spectrum News 13 article, the nonprofit stated the city plans to kick in $3 million toward the $15 million facility.

Jeff Njus, the executive director for The Daily Bread, said he believes that by closing the soup kitchen, it will address the concerns about the crowd of homeless people without completely abandoning them and their need for resources.

Dealing with the neighborhood soup kitchen

Before Tuesday night's meeting, in a post by Melbourne Mayor Paul Alfrey stated that after months of negotiation and planning, Daily Bread laid out a proposal to shift its focus to affordable long-term housing.

Homeowners who live near the downtown facility wanted the city to act, saying they don’t feel safe, while business owners say they’ve dealt with constant loitering and homeless individuals bothering customers.

Frank Schrader, a local realtor who has lived on Fee Avenue for the past five years, says he put his house up for sale due to the ongoing issues.

“I’ve shown my home here four times, and every person has loved it, the problem every time has been the neighborhood, that’s what was directly mentioned to me in feedback, so it’s a real issue,” Schrader said.

He’s talking about the constant flow of homeless walking up and down his street, going to and from Daily Bread, just a block away.

Many set up shop inside and outside the Melbourne Library, or on the benches surrounding Wells Park.

“When you have the constant pressure of folks that are using the service there at Daily Bread, the soup kitchen, it’s challenging for the neighborhood,” Schrader said.

Vice Mayor Dave Neuman, elected to office in November, says one of the main things he heard from residents on the campaign trail was homeless issues on Fee Avenue and nearby downtown Melbourne.

Just this week he says he heard from a woman who didn’t feel safe at the library.

“These kids during story time, they are basically being hovered over by the homeless population, and it felt unsafe for her child, it felt unsafe for them,” Neuman said, speaking on complaints about the library.

Neuman is introducing a resolution declaring a state of emergency in regard to Melbourne’s homeless crisis.

It cites numerous reports from residents about trespassing, threats of violence and feeling unsafe outside their homes, especially along Fee Avenue and the surrounding neighborhood.

It calls for the city to secure resources from county, state and federal agencies to enforce existing laws, provide resources to address the homeless crisis and move homeless individuals to places they can get help outside the city of Melbourne.

“Bring resources to Melbourne, find ways we can help solve this crisis, and that could go to helping individuals get off the street and on their feet,” Neuman said.

Schrader has voiced his concerns several times at council meetings and is optimistic some progress will be made.

“We’re hopeful,” he said.

Vice Mayor Neuman also says council will be discussing a new contract for Providence Place, a new facility which is intended to replace Daily Bread.