Feeding Jacksonville's homeless isn't as easy as it sounds

If a church group wants to offer food to the homeless, it better have a permit - most of the time.

Feeding more than 21 people triggers the need for a permit. Feeding in a city park is equivalent to renting it out for a party, under current policy.

But passing out food in a park like Hemming Plaza, which was the site of a dispute last weekend, falls under the JaxParks department and could require an additional special use permit. On private property, such as a church building, churches are still asked to fill out an Application for Feeding the Homeless for Bona Fide Religious Reasons.