TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Emily M. Dickens, Chair
Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness Work Group
SUBJECT: Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness 2005-06 Budget Implications
DATE: April 27, 2005
INTRODUCTION
This memorandum is a request from the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness Work Group to the Chapel Hill Town Council to allocate funds in the 2005-06 budget for the Ten-Year Plan Process.
BACKGROUND
In October 2003, Triangle-area elected officials were briefed on the Ten-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 Ten-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 will spend the next month meeting with representatives from each elected body in the Partnership and submitting funding requests.
Based on information provided by neighboring communities who are implementing and developing their plans, the Partnership Work Group estimates that the total cost for development of the Orange County’s Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness will be $60,000. Raleigh/Wake County recently completed their Ten-Year Plan at a cost of approximately $65,000. This amount included 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.
ESTIMATED BUDGET (Plan Development): $60,000
Anticipated Funding Requests:
§ Orange County $18,000
§ Town of Chapel Hill $18,450
§ Town of Carrboro $ 6,300
§ Town of Hillsborough $ 2,250
§ Triangle United Way $ 5,000 (Pledge confirmed)*
§ UNC/Other Sources $10,000
*Triangle United Way has also offered to provide office space with equipment access.
*Contribution from each governing body is based on the existing HOME funds allocation formula.
The majority of the budget will cover costs for a project administrator, which may be an individual or consulting firm. Duties will include:
· Providing Staff Support to the Steering Committee and Partnership;
· Researching Other Plans (from similar communities);
· Planning and convening Public Forums designed to engage community involvement;
· Developing Process Design (committee structure; identify information needs);
· Completing Gap Analysis (existing vs. non-existing services);
· Completing Cost Analysis of Homelessness;
· Gathering and Analyzing Data;
· Writing the Plan;
· Identifying potential revenue sources for Plan Development and Implementation;
· Serving as the Community Contact Person;
· Coordinating Orange County plan development activities with Triangle United Way Homeless Coordinator; and
· Coordinating Public Information Activities and Events.
The Partnership Work Group anticipates a very public process that in addition to administration fees 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 Ten-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. Other requests will be sent to UNC Hospitals and Blue Cross Blue Shield.