TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Emily M. Dickens, Chair
Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness Work Group
SUBJECT: 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness 2005-06 Budget Implications
DATE: March 23, 2005
INTRODUCTION
This memorandum is a request from the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness Work Group to include a placeholder in the 2005-06 budget for the 10 Year Plan Process. The Work Group intends to submit a budget request in mid-April.
BACKGROUND
In October 2003, Triangle-area elected officials were briefed on the 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness initiative sponsored by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. Attendees were asked to begin similar planning in their localities.
At the Town Council Planning Session on January 17, 2004, the Council agreed to add a public dialogue on homelessness to its list of goals for 2004. This goal was implemented on November 18, 2004 when Chapel Hill, Orange County, and the United Way hosted a Roundtable Discussion on Homelessness in Orange County. At the 2005 Town Council Planning Session, the Council agreed to include development of a 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness in Orange County as a high priority. On January 24, 2005, the Town Council passed a resolution to join the Partnership to End Homelessness in Orange County.
In early 2005, Council member Greene and Work Group members made presentations to the Orange County Board of Commissioners, Hillsborough Board of Commissioners and Carrboro Board of Alderman that included a request that they, by resolution, officially join a “Partnership to End Homelessness in Orange County”. The last municipality joined on March 1, 2005. As a result, the Partnership to End Homelessness in Orange County includes Orange County, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough, the Triangle United Way, the Community Initiative and Orange Congregations in Mission. In joining, each elected body acknowledged that membership in the Partnership would involve a commitment to providing staff, funding and other resources for this initiative.
DISCUSSION
The Partnership Work Group expects to present a report regarding the process for developing a 10 Year Plan in Orange County for approval by the elected boards between April and June, 2005, dependent on budget schedules. We expect to present a budget request to the Town of Chapel Hill by mid-April. In the interim we request that the Council designate a placeholder in the 2005-06 budget for implementation of this process.
We are hesitant to provide approximate figures until we at least have a first draft of the plan. However, we will be looking to neighboring communities as resources for developing our budget. Raleigh/Wake County recently completed their 10 Year Plan at a cost of approximately $65,000. This amount includes fees paid to a consultant who wrote the plan. Durham City/County has recently hired a full time staff person to coordinate all activities surrounding the development of their plan and to write the plan at a cost of $55,000. In Durham, the cost will be shared by Durham County, Durham City and Triangle United Way. In Raleigh, funds were raised through private sources with donations from the city, county and Triangle United Way. Though their plan is complete they are still raising funds to cover the costs. The Partnership Work Group anticipates a very public process that in addition to the fees for development of the plan will include additional costs for publicity, web page maintenance, copying, and facilitators. The group is in the process of identifying other funding sources for the development of Orange County’s 10 Year Plan. The Triangle United Way has signed on as a donor and a request for support has been sent to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.