As new CoC chair, Figgs-Sanders vows to put homeless services over politics
- Mark Parker
- May 29
- 3 min read
St. Petersburg City Councilmember Deborah Figgs-Sanders is embracing the opportunity to steer a wayward ship after a wave of political friction recently rocked the Pinellas Continuum of Care (CoC).
The CoC is a collaborative network established to coordinate, fund, and manage service delivery for community partners dedicated to ending homelessness in Pinellas County. Kathleen Beckman, who formerly chaired the organization’s extensive governing board, submitted her resignation on April 22.
Beckman’s abrupt exit came as tensions over board appointments and removals escalated publicly at a county commission meeting. Figgs-Sanders, subsequently named the CoC’s interim leader, is now eager to shift the focus back to providing resources for seniors, veterans, children, and families experiencing homelessness.
“I had to kind of step in to alleviate some of the political aspects that were causing so much contention with what we are trying to do in our day-to-day,” Figgs-Sanders said. “You have to keep the main thing the main thing - providing those resources for our homeless.”
Beckman, a former Clearwater City Council member and mayoral candidate, cited “family needs and health circumstances” in her resignation letter. She expressed gratitude for her five-year tenure with the CoC and called the work “important and inspiring.”
However, Figgs-Sanders noted that operations became “extremely political.” The friction came to a head in April after Beckman removed Commissioner Vince Nowicki - later reappointed and one of several elected officials on the CoC’s governing board - over alleged excessive absences.
County officials then discussed the matter and other administrative concerns at a commission meeting. The drama engulfed the Homeless Leadership Alliance (HLA) of Pinellas, a separate but intertwined entity.
The HLA, as the CoC’s lead agency, works to prevent, divert, and end homelessness by helping plan, implement, and align a countywide response system. Commissioner Chris Latvala asked if the county could oversee some of the HLA’s services so that U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding “would flow through us.”
That would eliminate the need to “deal with political hacks,” he said
Latvala also suggested pulling approximately $450,000 in annual county funding from the CoC and its nearly 30-person board of elected officials and community stakeholders. County Administrator Barry Burton explained that the coalition administers resources and is “not the direct recipient of funds.”
Beckman submitted her resignation a day after the commission meeting.
The potential loss of funding was “not something that we wanted to hear,” Figgs-Sanders said. “There are so many organizations that are trying to do the right thing, they’re trying to do good, they’re holding themselves as transparent as possible, they’re providing a service that is so needed and not fully funded to meet the capacity of our homelessness.”
Latvala’s comments caused a “panic,” Figgs-Sanders added. Beckman’s resignation offered an opportunity to “reset.”
Figgs-Sanders hopes her “reputation for transparency, integrity, and accountability” will have a calming effect. She noted that tensions have already eased exponentially.
The CoC’s board must formally approve her appointment in July. Figgs-Sanders will then lead the organization until at least Dec. 31.
Her top priority is to help secure additional funding to support the CoC’s mission. That requires empathy and understanding from people who are not personally affected by homelessness.
“I need you to join and educate yourself on what it really means, number one, to be homeless,” Figgs-Sanders said. “And number two, what it takes to try and eradicate homelessness.”
She also pledged not to micromanage board members or community partners. “I don’t have to be involved in everything,” Figgs-Sanders continued. “I let people do their jobs, and that’s what HLA is here to do.”
Homelessness affects everyone, whether through encountering panhandlers in public or the additional strain on health care systems. Figgs-Sanders wants more people to realize the issue isn’t confined to specific neighborhoods or demographics.
She encourages residents to donate their time or money to trusted organizations that work to end homelessness. They can also help connect nonprofits with philanthropists, Figgs-Sanders said.
State and federal funding cuts are “scary,” she continued, and many organizations face budgetary uncertainty. “There are a lot of them out there that need our support.”
“When it comes to homelessness, it’s hard to stabilize anything,” Figgs-Sanders said. “But in regards to the work, in regards to getting it done, we need to refocus on why we’re there.”
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