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Adopted by the Board of County Commissioners <br />February 3, 2009 <br /> 19 <br />Section 4 – The Homelessness Reduction and Prevention <br />Plan <br />Goal 1: Move homeless people into housing first. <br /> <br />A ‘housing first’ solution to homelessness requires an adequate supply of permanent, accessible <br />and affordable housing. Interviews and discussions with agency representatives as well as a <br />recent survey by this Committee revealed the following: <br />1. We need additional emergency shelter beds and facilities, especially emergency <br />shelter for individuals with special situations or needs, such as domestic violence, <br />mental health issues, substance abuse, veteran status, disabilities, single individuals, <br />and people with felonies. <br />2. We need to preserve affordable housing and strengthen our partnerships with local <br />landlords and property managers, to identify more existing housing that could be <br />used for homeless families and individuals. <br />3. We need to rehabilitate substandard housing up to standard levels. <br />4. We need to construct additional affordable housing. <br />5. We need more housing options with no restrictions on tenancy. <br />6. We need to ensure integrated housing with low, middle, and high income housing <br />intermixed throughout the county. <br />7. Prevent homelessness through timely financial assistance, counseling, intervention <br />and case management. <br />Using 2060 funds, agencies in this county can procure resources to address many of the needs <br />above. The HAHC can help connect agencies to these resources. <br />1. Ensure adequate tracking and sources of emergency shelter for all homeless populations. <br /> <br />While the Committee and community agencies agree that permanent housing as quickly as <br />possible for homeless families/individuals is the goal, the portal to that goal is often through <br />the emergency shelter network. This network can plug families and individuals into needed <br />services that result in meeting the permanent housing goal. Our survey revealed a shortage of <br />emergency shelter facilities for families as well as single individuals, particularly males. A part <br />of our work will be to work with local agencies to identify and develop more emergency <br />housing for these persons. <br /> <br />Additionally, we know there are ~17 beds and an unidentified quantity of hotel vouchers that <br />are used with social service agencies and the faith community to assist homeless persons on an <br />emergency basis. Access to most of these beds is restricted by the agency that provides them. <br />To consolidate all organizations that provide these resources to the homeless population <br />including the faith communities into one comprehensive system and to provide some oversight <br />of this system would ensure a more efficient use of these resources. <br /> <br />Moreover, there is no formal system in place via the faith-based support network to connect <br />homeless persons to agencies that can assist them through a transition process. Consolidation <br /> will help fill this referral gap.