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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 04/14/2020 - UPDATE ON HOMEWARD 2020 AND INITIATIVES AFFECTINGDATE: STAFF: April 14, 2020 Beth Sowder, Director of Social Sustainability Jeff Mihelich, Deputy City Manager WORK SESSION ITEM City Council SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION Update on Homeward 2020 and Initiatives Affecting Persons Experiencing Homelessness EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this item is to provide an update on the wrap up of Homeward 2020, to report out on initiatives aimed at homelessness remediation and to discuss community plans for moving forward. Additional update on homelessness response to COVID-19 will be included. GENERAL DIRECTION SOUGHT AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED This is a general update. No direction is sought from Council at this time. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION Homeward 2020 is a collaborative, strategic think-tank guiding implementation of Fort Collins’ 10-Year Plan to Make Homelessness Rare, Short-Lived and Non-Recurring by setting priorities, developing alignment and action plans, and suggesting policy. Together, the community is making progress by using best practices and strengthening coordinated responses to end homelessness. The City of Fort Collins was a catalyzing partner from the very beginning when the concept of Homeward 2020 was conceived from early conversations that emerged from the UniverCity Connections convenings. The City was a thought partner as well as funding partner and has been actively involved with the work of Homeward 2020 throughout its journey. There is clear strategic alignment of this work with City Council priorities related to affordable and accessible housing, City Plan, Social Sustainability Department Strategic Plan, Affordable Housing Strategic Plan, and the City’s Strategic Objective to make homelessness rare, short-lived, and non-recurring. Homeward 2020 has maintained a persistent vision for Fort Collins stating that together, Fort Collins will make homelessness rare, short-lived and non-recurring in the community. This vision and disciplined attention on the issue of homelessness has defined a decade of work and continues to carry forward into a shared future. Homelessness is fundamentally a social and economic justice issue. Homelessness solutions will continue to be a necessary priority in social policy and community development in Fort Collins throughout the coming years. Decisive leadership and multi-sector cooperation must overcome significant system failures, lack of affordable housing, and inequities that have left our communities’ most vulnerable people in housing insecurity, economic vulnerability, and healthcare crisis. Ending homelessness not only improves individual and community health, but there is also a strong economic case to provide more assistance to people experiencing homelessness. Most importantly, this community can yield life-changing results and opportunities for all when focused on ending homelessness. Solving Homelessness Together Ending homelessness takes leadership, collaboration and coordination among multiple state and local programs to align resources for adequate, affordable housing and supportive services. An end to homelessness (also known across the country as “functional zero” means every community will have a comprehensive response in April 14, 2020 Page 2 place that ensures homelessness is prevented whenever possible, or if it can’t be prevented, it is a rare, short- lived, and non-recurring experience. • Making homelessness rare means reducing the numbers of all people experiencing homelessness by strengthening household stability and access to affordable housing. • Making homelessness short-lived means implementing effective and efficient re-housing services to make experiences with homelessness the least traumatizing and short as possible. • Making homelessness non-recurring means ensuring affordable housing and supportive services are in place to restore housing security for everyone in Fort Collins. Homeward 2020 leads the community in a ‘housing first’ orientation. Housing First is an approach that offers permanent, affordable housing as quickly as possible for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, and then provides the supportive services and connections to the community-based supports people need to keep their housing and avoid returning to homelessness. Homeward 2020 Projects and Leadership The City of Fort Collins maintains a Memorandum of Understanding with Homeward 2020, pointing to the organization’s role in strategic planning, policy and facilitation of leadership pertaining to homelessness solutions. Homeward 2020 convenes a multi-sector Community Collaborative of leaders who bring a range of professional, civic and life experience to their passion for Homeward 2020’s vision, strategies and success and assist in facilitating implementation of the 10-Year Plan. Community Collaborative Members Christine Kneeland | Community Member, Chair, Founding Member Dave Edwards | Community Member, Co-Chair, Founding Member Annie Davies | President and CEO, United Way of Larimer County Joe Domko | Executive Director, Catholic Charities, Larimer County Region Kelly Evans | Executive Director, Neighbor to Neighbor Seth Forwood | Director, Harvest Farms Diane Jones | Former City of Fort Collins Deputy City Manager, Community Member Steve Kuehneman| Executive Director, Care Housing Bill Kneeland | Attorney, Founding Member Jacqueline Kozak-Thiel | Chief Sustainability Officer, City of Fort Collins Stephanie Madsen-Pixler | Director Community Based Services, SummitStone Health Partners Carol Plock | Executive Director, Health District of Northern Colorado Lisa Poppaw | Executive Director, Crossroads Safehouse Matt Robenalt | Executive Director, Downtown Development Authority David Rout | Executive Director, Homeward Alliance Justin Smith | Larimer County Sheriff Nicole Staudinger | First Bank President, Northern Colorado Jeff Swoboda | Police Chief, Fort Collins Police Services Cheryl Zimlich | Executive Director, Bohemian Foundation, Founding Member Final Phase of the Community 10-Year Plan The 2018-2020 update of the 10-Year Plan adopted by the Community Collaborative broadly outlined community- wide strategies and activities the Homeward 2020 Director, multi-sector stakeholders, work groups, and the Homeward 2020 Community Collaborative focused on in the final phase of the 10-Year Plan. April 14, 2020 Page 3 Priorities included: • Data development and reporting to improve understanding and outcomes • Efficient and effective housing and support solutions • Building capacity and planning for a sustainable, responsive system Outcomes and deliverables included: • Developed a public dashboard and reporting process to improve understanding and outcomes • Applied evidence-based best-practices to address chronic and complex homelessness • Built capacity for a sustainable, responsive system • Strengthened relationships with landlords, justice system and healthcare systems to assist with targeted outcomes • Convened learning events and discussions for multi-sector stakeholders, partners, community groups and general public • Augmented a regional approach through creation of a Northern Colorado Continuum of Care The Homeward 2020 Director also currently convenes several work groups looking at priority gaps and developing recommendations. These work groups focus on the following: Leadership Development for People with Lived Experience/Expertise Healthcare Coordination and Access for People Experiencing Homelessness Shelter, Housing and Supportive Services for Youth and Young Adults Acquisitions for Program Housing: Hotel/Motel Conversions Funding Alignment for System Capacity Building Landlord Engagement and Partnerships The Homeward 2020 Director, Holly LeMasurier, also participates in several community-wide, multi sector groups and partnership projects providing management and leadership, including: Northern Colorado Continuum of Care City Manager’s Homelessness Services and Housing Opportunities Advisory Group Mental Health and Substance Use Alliance of Larimer County Housing First Initiative - HW2020 in partnership with Homeward Alliance FUSE Demonstration Project - HW2020 in partnership with Health District of Northern Larimer County Built for Zero Project - HW2020 in partnership with the Northern Colorado continuum of Care Regional Healthcare Summit for People Experiencing Homelessness - in partnership with Kaiser Permanente COVID-19 Response Homeward 2020 Director, Holly LeMasurier, currently serves in an interim role as COVID-19 Project Manager for Homelessness Response coordinating the community’s COVID-19 response for people experiencing homelessness. In collaboration with the Homeward 2020 Director, City of Fort Collins Social Sustainability Department, Health District of Northern Larimer County, SummitStone Health Partners, and community shelter response leaders, developed a plan to help mitigate the risks of COVID-19 for those experiencing homelessness and the greater community in Fort Collins. A centralized operations center has been established at Northside Aztlan Community Center (Aztlan). It is recognized that while accessing additional space for physical distancing and centralizing operations at Aztlan was an achievement and first step streamlining operations, the next step is to optimize this site for intended impact for its staff, guests and general community health - safety, protection and reduced spread of COVID-19. Aggressive, additional, controlled health measures are incrementally being put in place to continue implementation of Center for Disease Control and local protocols. The effort is to maximize this important community contribution at this time at Aztlan and achieve best possible public health outcomes. The goal is to practice optimal operations and health protocols at Aztlan, and across the shelter system, to flatten the curve of the virus, and to prepare for April 14, 2020 Page 4 imminent impacts to best of ability. Council will be updated on most up to date efforts, data and further details at the time of presentation. Next Steps: Sustaining the Vision In Summer 2020, following implementation of the final phase of Fort Collins’ 10-Year Pan to make Homelessness Rare, Short-Lived and Non-Recurring, the community will capitalize on the organization’s decade of disciplined research and system development, application of key evidence-based models, data collection, consultation with local and national experts, and ongoing, cooperative community work. With the community, Homeward 2020 will create a Community Action Strategy, focused on scaling up solutions to overcome increasing homelessness in Fort Collins. The community will identify performance targets, existing assets and persistent gaps, priority next steps, and resources and partnerships to support the effort. Meetings and events will be held to share the recommended strategies. For more information go to: <http://www.homeward2020.org/%20> ATTACHMENTS 1. PowerPoint Presentation (PDF) April 14, 2020 Homelessness Update Council Work Session Jeff Mihelich, Holly LeMasurier, Beth Sowder ATTACHMENT 1 Overview 2 • Homeward 2020 Update • Looking Ahead • Status of Homelessness Initiatives • COVID-19 Response Update Strategic Alignment 3 City Plan SSD Strategic Plan Affordable Housing Strategic Plan City Strategic Plan Neighborhood Livability & Social Health 1.2 Council Priority Homeward 2020 Plan to make Homelessness Rare, Short-lived, and Non-recurring Community Dashboard Metric: Long-term Homelessness Entries/Exits 4 • Quarterly Metric from Housing First Initiative • Target: Number of exits exceeds entries • Metric does not account for inactive category Homeward 2020: Catalyst, Convener, Advocate, Data 5 • Community Strategy, Best Practices, Partnerships • City and Homeward 2020 MOU • Community Collaborative • Homeless Response Think Tanks • Tactical work groups and meetings • Community Awareness Rare, short-lived and non-recurring 6 •Homelessness is prevented by access to affordable housing and responsive services in the community. •System response and interventions make experiences with homelessness as least traumatizing and short as possible. •Supportive services monitor housing retention and stabilization among those transitioning from homelessness or housing crisis. Solving Homelessness 7 An end to homelessness means that every community will have a comprehensive response in place that ensures homelessness is prevented whenever possible, or if it can’t be prevented, it is a rare, short-lived, and non-recurring experience. 2018-2020 Priorities: Data, Housing Solutions, System 8 9 Lack of affordable housing is the primary cause of homelessness. Coordinated System Response • Best Practice: Housing First approach • Best Practice: Data-informed solutions • Best Practice: Coordinated Entry into Services How to End Homelessness Housing First Initiative Data 10 HFI: Long-term Homelessness 11 Total at end of 2-Year Project: 434 Total housed (over 2 Years): 140 Net change (over 2 years): +122 People known to HFI who died: 10 Frequent Utilizers: 122 Seniors 61+: 56 Veterans: 27 Young Adults (under 24): 25 Women: 129 Persons reporting a disability: 184 The Economic Case for Supportive Housing 12 Cost of Random Ricocheting: Emergency room, 911, law enforcement, courts, shelter, jail, etc. $35,000 - $150,000 Cost of Housing and Services $13,000 - $25,000 System Solutions Thinking: Rare 13 System Solutions Thinking: Short-Lived 14 System Solutions Thinking: Non-Recurring 15 Housing First Approach Housing First is an approach that offers: • Permanent, affordable housing • Quickly as possible • Individuals and families • Provides supportive services and connections • Community-based supports • Keep people in housing • Avoids returning to homelessness 16 Best Practice : Coordinated Entry (CAHPS) 17 GAP: Case Management GAP: Accessible, Affordable Housing GAP: Housing Search/Landlord Outreach GAP: Intake/Diversion Best Practice: Niche Partners 18 Veterans Families Youth and Young Adults Seniors Person w/ disabilities Mental Health/Substance Use Disorder Re-Entry Frequent Utilizers Unsheltered; Outreach to the isolated Domestic Violence Medical Treatment/Recuperative Care Exiting Foster Care 19 Coordinated efforts of community partners house people experiencing homelessness. Homelessness is solvable. 20 Ending homelessness takes community, leadership, collaboration and coordination among multiple state and local programs to align resources for housing and supportive services ‘Solvable’ and Solutions-oriented Thinking Homeward 2020 Next Steps • Community Action Strategy Report – early summer 2020 • Scaling up solutions • Performance targets • Assets and persistent gaps • Prioritize next action steps, resources and partnerships • Sharing Event and Meetings – summer 2020 • Recommended strategies 21 Evolution of Roles: Looking Ahead • Northern Colorado Continuum of Care - Larimer & Weld Counties • Homeless Management Information System • CAHPS Expansion (Coordinated Assessment Housing Placement Services) • Federal funding (HUD) and data coordination • Regional Strategy and Coordination 22 Advisory Committee for Homelessness Services & Housing Opportunities • Convened by City Manager Nov. 2019 • Recommendations expected summer 2020 • 20+ community members focused on overnight shelter needs Charge to Explore and Understand: • Current conditions • New/expanded facilities needs and feasibility • General locations for potential new facilities • Strategies to mitigate challenges and find opportunities for collaboration More info: https://www.fcgov.com/homelessnesscommittee/ 23 COVID-19 Homeless Response Northside Aztlan Community Center • Shelter – day, evening, overnight Separate Facility • Isolation and quarantine Health Screening Protocols • Health District Other Updates 24