HomeMy WebLinkAbout09282010 HOMELESS UPDATE^
i
9/28/2010
Purpose of this Presentation
• To respond to Council's request for public input
regarding ways to enhance resources to address
homelessness
• To provide options for consideration
• To provide for dialogue and understanding
~
,
1
9/28/2010
Background
• Many people in and outside of city government are
already working hard to help the homeless and to end
homelessness. I've provided a handout listing activities
and programs that are or shortly will be operating.
• You adopted a Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness in
200~
• Our city is partnering internally with churches and non-
profits; and externally with our neighboring localities, to
make progress
• In the current budget there is significant funding
allocated for the replacement of the Lighthouse center
and for many of the activities listed on the handout.
Our Approach to the Issue
• We understood that Council wanted input from
those who are involved and knowledgeable
• We understood that an increase of resources would
most likely be one-time
• We understood that reasonably guick turn-around
was desired.
• We wanted to provide a"menu" of choices so that
Council had the opportunity to choose more than
one option
• We were looking to identif~ ~a~s that aren't or cant
programs
„
t
Who We I nvolved
• Michael Knockett Family: Letter sent to attorney Mr.
LaMondue on Friday 9/io (no response as of Thursday
9/23)
• BEACH - the Faith, non-profit and city partnership
• VBHARP - the Virginia Beach Homeless Advocacy and
Resource Partnership, which consists of agencies serving the
homeless and receiving funds as part of our continuum of
care.
• OEC - the RAC/Oceanfront Enhancement Committee
•"Hope in the Upper Room" - which consists of currently
homeless persons working on improvement initiatives
• Homeless persons at the Lighthouse Center and Judeo
Christian Outreach Center
How We Came to Recommendations
• All the ideas from the groups we consulted were
consolidated into a list of short, medium and long-term
actions
• We convened a meeting of the Planning committee of the
BEACH Partnership
• They added new items to the list
• They voted using "dot" voting to indicate priorities
within each grouping
• The following pages show the short, medium and long-
term items and the relative priorities that the group
voted
• Staff reviewed the group voting and identified
recommendations for vour consideration
9/28/2010
3
!
ShOt"t terC11 ltetl'1S
~
Funding for medical, 76%
Specific uses would be
dental, pharmaceutical recommended by the
assistance, committee overseeing the
identification, donation meter program.
transportation and daily
living supplies
Homelessness 18% This is probably more
Prevention for People appropriately a medium-
aging out of Foster Care term program
Move-in packages for s%
hometess persons
moving into permanent
housing
Itcm in gree~ ~.~as the top priorit} Yrom the
~~oting
Medium term items
Pilot Program for 33%
Summer shelter
Lengthen winter shelter 10%
program
Medical Assistance 35%
Funding
Employment Assistance 7%
Housing Assistance 13%
Item in green was the top prioriTy
from the voting
9/2s/zoio
4
~
9
Lon~-term Items
Fund a new efficiency apartment 4% These items are not mutually
project in VB - like Cloverleaf exclusive. Finding land for facilities
Fund a regional "Healing Place" 15% that serve the homeless is the most
for substance abuse recovery difficult part of our work; therefore
and treatment action to identify and secure land was
Endow enhanced services at the 7% the top priority.
new Lighthouse Center The "Healing Place", that would
Close the funding gap for the 4% provide shelter, transitional housing
Lighthouse and peer-based counseling and
Build a shelter facility 4% recovery services for those with
Make land available for a shelter 31% substance abuse problems is a project
and other facilities to assist already in progress that will need a
ending homelessness site. Through the regional task force,
Establish a"land trusY' to obtain 38% a business plan is being developed
and make land available for
housing and shelter facilities and various other aspects are being
worked on.
Staff Recommendations
Funding for basic living $25,000 This wuld help people in significant ways
assistance, including within a few months. Funding would be added
medical, dental, to the "Donation Meter" fund and allocated
Pharmaceutical based on recommendations of a stakeholder
assistance, identification, group at the oceanfront. Grants would be made
transportation and daily based on proposals received from providers.
living supplies
Medical Assistance $50,000 This has been identified as a severe and
Funding significant need - everything from housing for
people recovering from surgery, to
transportation to appointments, to basic
medical supplies. This would be development
of a program beyond the short term funding.
Provide funding and staff 5100,000 Funding for ongoing required program planning and to
support to support the location identify and secure a location would accelerate the
of a site and establishment of a
Healing Place project and increase its likelihood of success.
~
Next Steps
• Your questions and comments
• Council provides direction to the City Manager
• Staff prepares an ordinance based on that
direction for vote on October 12
; ~--~.. _. -: . , .
_ _: ,. .
. . _
k~ , Y
. ,~:._-~ __i~
.:r4s , . ..!".? _ . :i+;~~ ,
~
9/28/2010
6
South Bat~ Efficienc~- Apartments for the Homeless -
Under construction in Portsmouth, and also supported
b}' Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Chesapeake!
How people with housing crises get housed and stay
housed in Virginia Beach.
September, 2010
Note: The City of Virginia Beach supports or has supported all except two of
these programs at various levels and in various ways.
Programs and Projects which are Currently Operational:
- Samaritan House provides emergency shelter and transitional
housing for homeless families and victims of domestic violence (130
beds total).
- 7udeo Christian Outreach provides 50 shelter beds for homeless
adults
- The Va. Beach Community Development Corp. (VBCDC) provides
• 30 units with 104 beds of transitional housing (TH) for homeless
families
• 7 beds of TH for single homeless adults.
• 30+ units of permanent housing for homeless families
• 8 beds of emergency shelter for homeless families with children
- Community Alternatives Management Group provides
• 138 beds of permanent supportive housing (PSH) to homeless
singles with disabling conditions
• 4 units of PSH serving formerly homeless families with children.
• 3 units of transitional housing to homeless families and
• 5 beds for singles
- Vetshouse provides transitional housing for homeless veterans (20
beds)
- Seton Youth Shelters provides emergency housing for young
homeless persons and runaways (21 beds)
- Virginia Supportive Housing provides
- 42 units of permanent housing for previously homeless single adults
from Virginia Beach at Cloverleaf Apartments.
- 12 units of permanent housing at Gosnold Apartments.
- The Dragas grant for homeless families helps several families each
month either avoid homelessness or obtain housing by providing
financial assistance for back rent, utilities and/or upcoming rent.
- The Federal stimulus grant entitled Homeless Prevention and
Rapid Re-housing or ~~HPRP" helps several households each month
either avoid homelessness or obtain housing through financial
assistance
- The Planning Council operates a program with funding from DHNP
that provides households with a financial crisis one-time temporary
assistance.
- DHNP provides ~~rental security deposit" funds to households to assist
them in being able to move into affordable rental housing.
How pE~ople with housing crises get housed and stay
housed in Virginia Beach.
September, 2010
- Every vvinter from mid-October through mid-April, Volunteers of
Ameri~:a in partnership with area faith organizations provides
shelter at houses of worship around the city, with operational and stafF
costs f~anded by DHNP.
- DHNP administers vouchers for 35 formerly homeless veterans who
are permanently housed through a Federal Veterans Administration
suppor~:ive housing or "VASH" grant.
- Holy Spirit Catholic Church provides 1 unit of TH for up to 3 single
homeless adult females with MH/SA case management support
The following agencies provide shelter and assistance programs without
direct city support:
- Love and Caring Ministries provides 17 beds of emergency shelter
to single mothers with children
- PIN Miinistry provides 5 units of transitional housing for homeless
familie~~ and singles
Programs aind Projects to be Available Soon
-)udeo Christian Outreach has a project under construction that will
providE~ 22 homeless persons, including veterans, with transitional
housinc~
- DHNP has received an additional 25 vouchers to make housing
affordable for 25 additional previously homeless veterans under the
VASH ~~rogram
- DHNP has received and will shortly begin making available 6 vouchers
for individuals receiving care from the Dept. of Human services
- Virginia Supportive Housing will open South Bay apartments in
Portsm~uth this winter, providing a total of 60 new units of permanent
housinc~ for the homeless, with 6 units for people from Virginia Beach