Planning the End of Homelessness in Albuquerque

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Planning the End of Homelessness in Albuquerque

• Findings from Community Focus Groups April 2006

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Defining a Strategy

• Data Gathering
• Identify Long and Short-term Goals
• Outline Action Steps
• Seek Input on Plan
• Publish and Distribute Plan
• Implement Action Steps

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Community Focus Groups

• Supportive Services for the Homeless
• Affordable Housing for the Very-Low Income
• Community Perspectives on Homelessness
• Homeless Perspectives
• Improving Access to Mainstream Resources

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Common Themes

• Housing is the answer to Homelessness
• Collaboration/Cooperation
• Long-term and intensive support
• Difficulties with Mainstream Resources
• Need for Centralized Information
• Marketing/PR campaign

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Frequently Identified Problems

• Discharge policies or (lack of)
• Lack of community/political will
• Access to Mainstream Resources
• Transportation
• Constraints placed by Funding agencies
• Perceptions

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Supportive Services

• Model of wrap-around services
• Collaboration get inside each others programs
  Case Management by Team
• Broker-style case management
• Create public spaces for homeless
• Support until self-sufficient
• Database of services

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Affordable Housing

• Must create incentive for developers
• Workforce Housing Ordinance
• Require affordability in planning
• Mixed Income housing example
• Dramatize Homelessness
• Seek funding from State for Housing
• Collaboration with Developers

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Community Perspectives

• Economic Impact to Community
• Community needs to own problem
• Massive public campaign
• Formalize Collaboration
• Centralize service access in City

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Homeless Perspectives

• Discharged to streets
• Need for long-term support
• Disincentive of Mainstream Resources
• Homeless cooperative operated by tenants
• Change stereo-type/perceptions
• Keep families together
• Need volunteer opportunities

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Mainstream Resources

• Valid address and phone
• Responsibility/motivation for communication
• Internet application
• Barriers to sharing information/HIPPA
• Need bus service and free phones
• Training for provider staff

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Interesting Ideas

• Collaboration
• Creating case management teams
• Database of services linked with 311
• Formalize cooperation among stakeholders
• Joint marketing campaign
• Cooperate with housing developers
• Support Work Force Housing Ordinance/State
  Housing Trust Fund

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Interesting Ideas Cont

• Use of volunteers
• As mentors
• Opportunities for the homeless
• Cross-training
• Providers train systems personnel
• Systems train provider staff

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Other Things to be Addressed

• Institutional Discharge Policies
• Transportation
• JobAccess
• Bus service to SSA and TANF
• Break through systems barriers
• Felony convictions for housing
• Phones/communication

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There are lots more!What should our priorities
be?