COUNCIL GOALS AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
HIGHEST Priority
Continued 16. Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness
Description: With Orange County, Hillsborough, and Carrboro, develop a ten-year plan to end homelessness. Project continues implementing findings of a public forum held in November 2004 on homelessness.
February 28, 2005 Status: New Goal.
May 9, 2005 Status: An additional Forum was held in Hillsborough on Saturday, April 29, 2005. A Budget Working Paper on a proposed project budget was submitted to Council on April 27, 2005.
September 12, 2005 Status: The Partnership in collaboration with the Orange County Human Services Advisory Commission (HSAC) is sponsoring the Orange County Human Services Forum. This year’s topic is “Welcome Home: A Bold Proposal to End Homelessness.” The forum will be held on September 14, 2005 at United Church of Christ. Guest speakers include Philip Mangano, Executive Director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, Richard Moore, NC State Treasurer and Chris Fitzsimon of NC Policy Watch.
The Partnership expects to hire a program administrator before October 1. If approved by Council, the Partnership will also coordinate efforts for Chapel Hill’s participation in Triangle United Way’s Harvest Feast event on October 30.
November 21, 2005 Status: The Project Administrator, J-Quad Associates, of Dallas Texas, was hired in October. The first meeting of the Steering Committee, co-chaired by Chair of the County Commissioners Moses Carey and local businessman Nathan Milian, was held on Thursday, November 10, 2005. The Steering Committee was introduced to J-Quad and informed of the process to be used in development of the 10 Year Plan. The Working Group was given a list of questions from the Steering Committee that will be presented at the next meeting in January.
February 13, 2006 Status: A second meeting of the Steering Committee was held on January 11, 2006. Project Administrator, J-Quad Associates, is in the process of scheduling focus group discussions with various community representatives to discuss homelessness in Orange County. Focus group discussions will occur during the last two weeks of February.
May 8, 2006 Status: A third Steering Committee meeting was held on March 22, 2006. Project Administrator, J-Quad Associates reported on the discussions of the 19 focus group meetings that were held throughout the County. In addition, UNC Students working on data collection for the project provided an update on the status of their work. On April 10, 2006, the UNC Students also provided an update on their work to the Council. A Community Forum was conducted on April 27, 2006. The purpose of this Forum was to develop personal action steps and community-wide solutions that will effect change and assist in the goal of ending homelessness.
Products to Be Produced and Timetable
· Develop a 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness, Report in Fall 2006
September 11, 2006 Status: A fourth Steering Committee meeting was held on May 31, 2006. A UNC student reported on the April 27 Forum, and the action steps and community-wide solutions that attendees devised to end homelessness. The Steering Committee divided into Subcommittees that met over the summer. The purpose of the Subcommittees was to finalize the action steps for the following themes that have been identified as the components of a plan to end homelessness: Housing, Basic Necessities, Employment, Education Discharge Planning, and Prevention. The Steering Committee reconvened on August 30, 2006.