City of Lawrence
Planning and Development Services Department
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TO: |
David L. Corliss, City Manager |
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CC: |
Scott McCullough, Director, Planning and Development Services |
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FROM: |
Margene K. Swarts, Assistant Director, Development Services |
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DATE: |
May 25, 2011 |
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RE: |
Community Commission on Homelessness (CCH) Activities and Homeless Information Update |
This memo responds to the City Commission’s recent request for information regarding community efforts to address homelessness.
The CCH was created in 2005 by resolution of the City Commission as a result of the Final Report of the Task Force on Homelessness. The Task Force was appointed in 2003 and charged with studying the issues and concerns of homelessness in the community. The Task Force was made up of a diverse group of individuals involved with and concerned about homelessness in Lawrence. The members subsequently appointed to the CCH also consist of a diverse group of citizens interested in and involved with the homeless and homeless activities and issues.
The CCH has heard much input and held many discussions regarding the homeless and homelessness since they began meeting in 2006. The primary work of the CCH has been determining the “face” of homelessness in the community and the subsequent creation of a “Housing Vision” for the community which details the housing options that are desired for Lawrence citizens. These options range from emergency shelter and temporary housing, to transitional housing, as well as permanent housing, both with and without supportive services. To help with relocation efforts for an adequate Emergency Shelter in the community, the CCH further defined the Land Use Essential Components they felt were necessary for a successful facility. While the Housing Vision addresses housing, it does not address several of the other issues associated with the homeless population such as camping, panhandling, day-sheltering, etc.
The Housing Vision chart indicates the numbers of individuals estimated to be needing to be housed and the units needed to house them and is based on the 2007 Point-In-Time (PIT) Count numbers. A PIT Count for 2011 was recently conducted and the numbers were released in April. The numbers are higher than in 2007 but believed to be accurate regarding the numbers of homeless individuals in Lawrence at this time.
In November and December, 2010, the CCH conducted a two-part retreat reviewing their history and noting accomplishments such as the Housing Vision which has aided in identifying and filling some gaps, while also acknowledging gaps that still need attention such as day sheltering, panhandling, and camping. The retreat culminated in a prioritized list of stated goals and action items for the CCH and upcoming CCH agenda timelines, suggestions for a new resolution that will further define and fine tune the activities and membership of the CCH, and proposed updated By-Laws for the CCH.
Of note is that one item of the goals and action items is to request and review a report regarding current day shelter usage from LCS and other such programs such as the Recovery and Hope Network (RAHN) in an effort to determine future day sheltering needs when LCS is able to relocate the emergency shelter leaving no day sheltering options available in the community.
Also attached is a summary of funding back to 2005 provided to the various agencies that serve the homeless.