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Adopted by the Board of County Commissioners <br />February 3, 2009 <br /> 27 <br />Discharge Planning <br /> <br />Planning for discharge from foster care, healthcare/mental health facilities, rehabilitation <br />programs, and correctional institutions is critical in order to prevent chronic homelessness. <br />Many institutions in our county and state struggle with discharge policies that don’t effectively <br />serve homeless people. It is difficult to link individuals being discharged from corrections, <br />foster care and other institutions if there is a lack of appropriate housing available. As a result, <br />individuals being discharged may soon fall into homelessness. We must avoid sending people <br />to the streets and emergency shelters by providing links to the right services and preparing <br />resources in advance of discharge. <br /> <br /> <br />What Needs to Happen: 2009 By 2012 By 2015 <br />Support the Continuum of Care efforts to develop MOUs and <br />discharge criteria with local institutions, the hospital, jail and <br />foster care, substance abuse treatment, etc. <br /> X <br />Advocate for system change, requiring links to housing and <br />services be part of approved discharge plan from local <br />institutions. <br /> X <br />Support programs/proposals linking housing to discharge <br />planning. X <br /> <br /> <br />Section 6 – Policy/Needs Considerations for City and County <br />Leadership (Source: Housing Needs Assessment, 4th Quarter 2007, Hope Source; Kittitas County <br />10-Yr. Plan, 2006 <br /> <br />The 2008 Homeless Committee identified the following policy changes that could help reduce <br />homelessness in Kittitas County, in no particular order: <br /> 1. Education of decision-makers and the general public on causes and solutions to <br />homelessness. <br /> a. Development of Community Volunteer Network to Support Homeless <br />Populations, Mentor, Job Training, etc. <br /> b. Solicit broad involvement from agencies and community with Project Kittitas <br />County Connects <br />2. Land use and zoning policies that encourage affordable housing development. <br />Examples might be: <br />a. Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) Programs <br />b. Affordable Housing Districts <br />c. Infill Housing Development Program <br />d. Inclusionary Housing <br />e. Accessory Dwelling Units (Attached and Detached) <br />f. Cottage Housing <br />g. Permit-Ready Housing or Rehabilitation <br />h. Upzoning—Increasing Densities