The following ideas/actions were identified either by the committees that helped set priorities for the Ten-Year Plan and FY07-08 actions or are best practices or initiatives from other communities. As priority actions are identified for FY08-09, some of these ideas/actions may be appropriate to explore.
Housing
Initiate a public campaign to increase landlord participation inthe Housing Authority’sSection 8 program and provide systematic support.
Plan for and develop an SRO (single room occupancy) for single women.
Create a rapid re-housing coordinator position to provide individualized assistance to homeless individuals and families that can help them locate and secure housing. The work would include such tasksasassessing people’shousing barrierassessments;doing criminal,creditand housing checksfor potential renters; and referrals to financial literacy education and housing sources. (Hennepin County, Minnesota)
Explore a “masterleasing”concept,which would allow for the City or other entity to lease entire buildings to bring units on line quickly, rely on private investment for renovation costs and negotiate improvements to common areas. (San Francisco)
Expand CrisisAssistance Ministry’sRentalDeposit Program for use by people ready to leave shelters or transitional housing.
Develop a housing support center that coordinates housing and housing-related services from various agencies. Through such an entity, housing vouchers, TANF dollars and other mainstream and homeless program funds could be channeled. (Philadelphia)
Outreach and Engagement
Develop a unified and coordinated intake and assessment tool.
Establish a mobile outreach team; such teams in Miami hire formerly homeless individuals as community outreach specialists to participate on the teams, along with social workers, law enforcement personnel and volunteers affiliated with religious organizations
Consider initiating Project Connect in Charlotte, an initiative being implemented in other communities to reach out to and engage homeless people, especially chronically homeless individuals living on the streets, through major, highly publicized outreach events. It centers around having bi-monthly events that centers on holding a one-day“massmobilization”events at a large accessible location where homeless adults have the opportunity to connect with an array of resources and services---legal services, medical care, benefits counseling, housing assistance, etc. Trained volunteers assist. (San Francisco and other cities)
Use Business Improvement District Funds in the Center City to hire an outreach worker to reach out to homeless panhandlers in the Uptown area and help link them to services. (Downtown Cincinnati, Inc.)
Provide mobile health services to people living on the streets and in the shelters. In Boston, a team of multidisciplinary health care professionals visit shelters, scattered housing sites and motels.
Provide outreach to people living in weekly motels. A mobile resource team in Fairfax Virginia uses volunteers from area churches to deliver hot meals and social workers provide case management and assist with life skills education. In Reno Nevada, police officers visit and check on the welfare of children living in motels and provide families access to resources.
Prevention
Create a City-owned and operated transitional housing complex for individuals and families displaced from their housing by government action or disasters.
Establish a Home Protection Pilot Program (revolving loan) for homeowners facing foreclosure.
Expand the scope ofthe Physician’sOutreach Program to include familiesatthe brink of becoming homeless.
Offer pre and post-natal home healthcare for mothers, using volunteer mothers as resources.
Establish satellite prevention centers in neighborhoods with high concentrations of homeless households residing there just prior to becoming homeless. (Philadelphia)
Develop a bridge fund to provide temporary financial assistance (interest-free loans and grants) with budget counseling for families experiencing unforeseen emergencies such as job loss, illness or death in the family. (New York)
Develop an elderly eviction program for elderly renters facing eviction. (Ann Arbor)
Campaign to encourage more local attorneys to provide pro bono legal support for preventing eviction. A team approach could be used to achieve 100% representation in a particular court room for a designated period of time. (Chicago)
Have corrections counselors in the jail work with inmates to apply for benefits prior to their release date and set up phone interviews with the Social Security Administration staff well in advance of release. (Portland)
Consider establishing a 27/7 hotline to provide information, referrals and crisis intervention services to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
Other
Increase use of individual development accounts (IDAs) to help homeless individuals and families save money for housing.