AGENDA #5b

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

FROM:            Human Services Advisory Board

SUBJECT:      2006 Human Services Needs Report

DATE:            January 9, 2006

INTRODUCTION

Each year the Human Services Advisory Board presents a report to advise the Town Council on human service needs for Chapel Hill residents.

BACKGROUND

The Chapel Hill Human Services Advisory Board, created in 1981, is charged with the responsibility of assessing human service needs of Chapel Hill residents, identifying service gaps and ways to fill them, and advising the Town Council on funding needs at the beginning of the budget cycle.

The Board facilitates a request for proposals process and invites local human service agencies to apply for Town funds to serve Chapel Hill residents.  The Board reviews agency proposals and prepares recommendations to the Town Council on funding levels for local human service agencies. Last year, the Council approved Town allocations totaling $225,000 for 42 nonprofit agencies to address human service needs.

DISCUSSION

Members of the Human Services Advisory Board have discussed a number of community issues that are relevant to this year’s human service needs. The Board strives to carefully evaluate the requests for funds to ensure that Town funds are being used to address the most critical needs with the best outcomes.

On January 24, 2005, the Town Council adopted a resolution to enter into a partnership with Orange County, Carrboro and Hillsborough to end homelessness in Orange County. In a count conducted in January 2005, Orange County’s homeless population was estimated to be 230. In this count, 38 were children, 59 were in families and 70 were chronically homeless. The Board supports the efforts of the partnership to prevent and end homelessness. Most of the agencies the Town is supporting this year provide programs that address the factors that contribute to homelessness or directly serve homeless residents. Crisis services, literacy, shelter/food assistance, child care and substance abuse treatment are examples of human services provided by agencies the Town funds. In the view of the Board, resources the Town allocates to human service agencies are consistent with the goals to end homelessness. The Board plans to evaluate funding requests this year within the context of the shared goal of the Town’s commitment to this effort.

The Board is also concerned about the possible residual effect of the demand for disaster relief funds. Many private donors and corporate sponsors have directed their donations toward these needs and local agencies may experience the consequences of donor fatigue. There is also evidence that trends in donations are showing a shift away from services to the poor. On November 14, 2005, the New York Times, published an article titled “What is Charity?” Its point was that charitable contributions for poor people have decreased. Specifically, “Last year, the share of giving going to organizations most directly related to helping the poor hit a record low, accounting for less than 10 percent of the $248 billion donated by Americans and their philanthropic institutions.”  

When it comes to raising money directly, most human services groups have weak fund-raising operations, if any, and their board members typically lack the resources of those who serve as trustees of universities or museums. In light of the decline in giving from private sources, public assistance for the poor has become more urgent.

The Board also continues to explore ways to support agencies beyond or in addition to funding allocations. Members of the Board recognize that agencies experience the same high administrative costs as businesses (such as occupancy costs) in our area without the opportunity for profit. In response, the Board submitted a proposal for a Master’s in Public Administration student project that would provide research on feasible options for sharing resources among agencies.

Recommendations for 2005-2006

In the view of the Board, local human service agencies provide valuable programs that are necessary to the residents of Chapel Hill. The Town support helps ensure that those services are available to low income Chapel Hill residents. The Board evaluates the local human service programs for ability to document needs, capacity to address those needs and demonstration of successful outcomes. This year, the Board will continue to focus on at-risk youth programs, services to Spanish-speaking residents, mental health and self-sufficiency programs with particular consideration for programs that are aligned with the effort to prevent and end homelessness.

2006 Human Services Advisory Board members

William Powers; Chair

Virginia Brown; Vice-Chair

Larry Daquioag

Norm Fieleke

Glenn Gerding

Ernie Roberts