Смерть бездомной в Гейнсвилле обнажает годичный дефицит жилья в штате Флорида

Gainesville woman’s death highlights yearlong housing wait: ‘These people are human’ GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) — A woman who jumped off a downtown Gainesville parking garage in August was homeless, and a man who jumped from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Monday was also believed to be homeless. A housing expert and a friend of the woman are drawing attention to the lack of housing. She said more than 1,000 people are on a waitlist for housing assistance. Burnt candles from a vigil remain at the memorial site for 37-year-old Karrie Ford, who died by suicide when she jumped off the Southwest parking garage in downtown Gainesville on Aug. 13. Ford’s friend, Abigail Perret-Gentil, works at an outreach clinic and said Ford is not the only one dealing with homelessness. “Just living outside is dangerous and scary. You can’t get your basic needs met. She had taken herself to crisis stabilization three times and really didn’t have any kind of continuity of care, wasn’t able to get her medication that she needed to stabilize there,” Perret-Gentil said. Perret-Gentil said Ford lived in the area for about 10 years but recently found herself struggling to find housing. Ford was on the Gainesville Housing Authority’s waitlist for a year. Her spot in line was number 1,186. “We really need our community to realize that these people are human,” Perret-Gentil said. RELATED: Concerns over student safety put spotlight on Gainesville homelessness response Ford was not the only person homeless and struggling. On Monday, a 51-year-old man believed to be homeless jumped from the top of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. “People who are experiencing homelessness are being demonized right now and people are advocating to make it harder and scarier for people to get the help they need, and it shouldn’t take this long, and it shouldn’t be this difficult to get the help,” Perret-Gentil said. Perret-Gentil wants people to be more aware and said she will continue advocating for those who need housing while honoring Ford’s memory. Those experiencing thoughts of suicide or a mental health crisis can call “988″ the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 24/7. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. Copyright 2026 WCJB. All rights reserved.