Broward County鈥檚 Central Homeless Assistance Center in Fort Lauderdale can house up to 230 people who would otherwise be living on the streets. Currently, only 34 women are allowed to live there.
There are no men. They've all been transferred to the only other county owned homeless shelter in Pompano Beach. Another 21 people were moved into extended-stay hotel rooms, paid for by the county.
Why is Broward keeping hundreds of people from living in the Fort Lauderdale shelter and not providing services to get them back on their feet? A renovation project that was supposed to take months has stretched on for more than a year due to construction delays and disputes with the builder.
The 34 women at the Fort Lauderdale shelter have been sharing what was described as a classroom or conference room with just two showers since construction began in July 2022. There are only two bathrooms in the room where the women sleep. Additional bathrooms are available in the lobby and lunch room, when it is unlocked, according to shelter residents who spoke with SA国际传谋.
They did not want to be identified by name for fear shelter officials would no longer admit them to the facility.
鈥淲e have鈥� women living in a conference room with a bathroom because they can't get into those rooms. And we have others that have been moved up to the north, which takes away space from the north,鈥� said Broward Vice Mayor Nan Rich during an October county commission meeting where plumbing issues were discussed. 鈥淲e have hundreds of people that we can't put into facilities.鈥�
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The Fort Lauderdale shelter residents of CHAC said they are thankful the shelter is staying open during the construction and prefer sleeping there to sleeping on the streets and in their cars.
Still, they said shelter employees encouraged them to wake up earlier 鈥� around 4 a.m. 鈥� to take showers if they needed to go to work. Other women who don鈥檛 work mornings are asked to shower at night.
鈥淪ometimes they rush us to get in and out if other women are waiting,鈥� one woman told SA国际传谋.
Another woman told SA国际传谋 that she had an unexpected period and had to call a nurse to unlock a restroom outside of the sleeping area since those two were occupied.
鈥淚 was covered in blood,鈥� she said.
Homeless in Broward
The Broward Partnership is a non-profit organization that operates the Fort Lauderdale shelter and the North Homeless Assistance Center in Pompano Beach. It鈥檚 also the largest homeless services provider in Broward County, according to its website.
SA国际传谋 emailed the Broward Partnership鈥檚 top two officials, Frances Esposito and Tom Campbell, as well as their public relations company, KIP Hunter Marketing, requesting a tour of the facility and interviews. Only a representative from KIP responded to questions by suggesting that SA国际传谋 direct all inquiries to Broward County.
According to public records reviewed by SA国际传谋, the original construction project that was supposed to take months has instead gone on for more than a year.
The county owns the building while the Partnership is in charge of operations.
Esposito attended a Nov. 14 Broward County Commission meeting and was asked by a SA国际传谋 reporter for an interview. She declined.
SA国际传谋 also sent a list of questions regarding the shelter鈥檚 operations to Esposito and their public relations company and did not respond.
Repairs at Fort Lauderdale shelter
The Fort Lauderdale shelter repairs began last year, forcing staff to operate at 鈥渓imited capacity,鈥� meaning new female clients are only allowed in if another female leaves.
The shelter is equipped 鈥� when fully operational 鈥� with 230 beds for men, women, and children, The Pompano facility, meanwhile, is equipped with 268 beds.
Demand for a shelter bed far outstrips the supply.
County data shows that almost 200 families each month are homeless and on the community鈥檚 waiting list for shelter. According to the there are about 2,054 persons experiencing homelessness in Broward County 鈥� more than 1,200 of them are living without shelter.
The annual count is mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and helps determine the county's allocation of federal funding dollars. It is often a low estimate,
Since 1999, more than 25,900 people experiencing homelessness have from the Broward Partnership. The Partnership uses a model of care that has been recognized to be among , according to their website.
鈥淭he express focus of [homeless assistance] programs are to rapidly transition clients to a stable housing situation and to provide specialized services to ensure housing stability,鈥� the organization鈥檚 website states. Services include case management, nutritious meals, child care, healthcare, mental health and substance abuse treatment, education, housing navigation, vocational training and employment services.
More than half of the Partnership鈥檚 funding comes from government grants and contracts. The remainder comes from private corporations, charitable foundations, special events and individuals.
Construction history
The county hired HE Builders to renovate the shelter鈥檚 bathrooms in July 2022. Construction work was paused between September and November 2022, when the company found 鈥渦nforeseen conditions鈥� including extensive water damage to wall structure and finishes at the site.
The county hired a separate, specialty contractor to handle those repairs 鈥� pushing the project back four months and making it more expensive than initially thought for HE Builders. On three separate occasions, HE Builders stopped working because of disputes over how much they should get paid for the extra work.
In January, the county issued a change order, allowing themselves to spend more money on the renovations.
The county approved the $250,000 increase to the project鈥檚 budget, putting the total budget for the project at $2,426,000.
In May, the county said, HE Builders started to understaff the project 鈥� causing delays. Residents SA国际传谋 spoke with said they had sometimes seen less than 5 people working on the building during the day.
The county moved to get rid of the contractors on May 25.
鈥淗E Builders continues to fail to perform the work in accordance with the approved project schedule and contract time and to suitably perform the work and provide the proper staffing to ensure its prompt completion,鈥� a letter sent to HE Builders read.
A former shelter resident said he was living at the Fort Lauderdale shelter until he was moved north to the Pompano shelter in June.
鈥淵ou had probably 40 men and you only had two toilets that worked,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou had like eight sinks and out of those sinks, maybe three of them worked.鈥�
He has since found permanent housing.
Despite the delays and disputes, the county kept HE Builders on as they saw improvements. In a July email, one county official wrote in an email that 鈥淗E Builders has been on site, full force.鈥�
According to another July email sent by Ariadna Musarra, the county鈥檚 director of construction management, 鈥淗E Builders has picked up the work effort and there has been great presence on site.鈥�
HE Builders had complained, however, about not being paid, according to the email exchange with county officials. But the company failed to check their mailbox where three paychecks were sent, per public records.
An attorney for HE Builders said that the county鈥檚 changes were delaying the work 鈥� not the contractors.
The county, fed up with delays, ultimately fired HE Builders on Sept. 12, 2023.
Who鈥檚 at fault?
The county then rehired HE Builders along with a general contractor who would oversee the project. Finding a new company would have taken even longer and caused more delays.
鈥淭hey hired a separate contractor to oversee the construction and retained the contractor that was terminated because that would be the most expeditious way to get this facility open, at least the Phase One of the facility,鈥� Michael Kerr, a county attorney who has been close to the project, told Broward commissioners at a Oct. 24 meeting.
On Nov. 1, officials reported that the project passed fire and electrical inspections, but failed the mechanical inspection.
A week later both mechanical and plumbing inspections were pending while staff continued working with the Fort Lauderdale Building Department to expedite pending inspections.
SA国际传谋 requested interviews with Musarra and Pam Sanguino, a county employee who is overseeing the project, and were denied.
According to public records, the county has hired a new contractor to finish phase two and three of the renovations.
In an email sent to Commissioner Rich on Wednesday Nov. 15 from Musarra, 鈥渢he anticipated time for Phase 1 completion is in approximately three weeks from today, pending Building Department final approvals.鈥�
