"At Home in Lincoln County" Lincoln County 10-Year Plan: Resolution of Support RESOLUTION TO DEVELOP A LINCOLN COUNTY AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN WITH A FOCUS ON CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS WHEREAS, safe and decent shelter is one of the most basic of all human needs; and WHEREAS, the lack of adequate and affordable housing is being felt by individuals of all ages and income levels in Lincoln County; and WHEREAS, inadequate housing and homelessness make it more difficult for children to learn, adults to be productive, and people of all ages to stay healthy; and WHEREAS, lack of affordable housing and homelessness represent an economic burden on the community, especially the public safety and public health systems; and WHEREAS, many government agencies, non-profit groups and individuals in Lincoln County are valiantly working to address shelter issues; and WHEREAS, the local resources to deal with the problem fall far short of the need, with housing and shelter programs of all types reporting long waiting lists; and WHEREAS, there is a new focus on the problems of affordable housing and homelessness at both the state and federal levels, as well as recognition that new approaches, including the “housing first” model show great promise in ending homelessness; and WHEREAS, the Federal Government has adopted a 10-year goal to end homelessness, and has asked local jurisdictions to join in this effort; and WHEREAS, the Community Services Consortium, through its Regional Housing Center, has agreed to coordinate the development of a 10-year Affordable Housing Plan for Lincoln County with a Focus on Chronic Homelessness; NOW, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners supports development of this plan and will strive to achieve its goals through working with other government partners at all levels, non-profit organizations, the private sector, the faith community and interested individuals.
Statement on Housing/Homelessness Plan Resolution By: County Commissioner Bill Hall Presented at City Council Meetings and to County Commissioners
Today’s resolution explains why we’re moving forward with development of this plan. I wanted to take a couple of minutes to tell you how we got to this point. This process began in January of last year when the Lincoln County Housing Network decided to sponsor a summit on housing issues. We were ambitious, deciding to address the entire spectrum of housing needs—from emergency and short-term shelter for the homeless to getting people into affordable housing on a long-term basis. We called the event “Housing Solutions for Lincoln County” because we wanted to do more than just talk about the problem—we wanted to identify specific actions we could take. The best idea emerged during our luncheon speech, from Paul Carlson, regional coordinator of the U-S Interagency Council to End Homelessness. He encouraged us to develop a 10-year-plan to end chronic homelessness. More than 220 counties and cities across the country have completed such plans or have them in the works, and they are generating impressive results. In our discussions since the summit, we’ve talked about many things, including the scope of our potential plan. We decided to broaden its scope beyond chronic homelessness to address the entire spectrum of housing needs. The journey to housing stability has many paths. Whether it’s a working family struggling to make ends meet, a developmentally disabled individual, a victim of spousal abuse or a chronically homeless person, they all have the same goal, the same destination—a safe, clean, warm place to call home. Not everyone was sure developing a plan was the right answer. Those of us in and around government have seen plenty of plans developed with great fanfare that end up gathering dust on a shelf. I know this for a fact—there are several sitting in my office, left behind by my predecessors. A couple of ideas persuaded us this would be the right step. We decided that if we had a plan that clearly defined our needs, and presented specific goals and solutions, we would be in a stronger position to utilize existing resources and leverage new ones. And while there are no guarantees, there are signs that more resources may be on the horizon. The federal government’s attention to the problem is bringing greater attention to the problem and some new dollars to the table. We also saw some encouraging developments at the state level, especially the Governor’s recent move to appoint a state Ending Homelessness Advisory Council. I am honored to have been chosen as the county government representative on that council. The Oregon Department of Housing and Community Services is working on a series of housing initiatives for inclusion in the governor’s budget. The Oregon Housing Alliance, a coalition of local governments, housing authorities, community development corporations, service providers and business representatives, is aggressively pushing an agenda for the next legislative session that would bring additional funds to the table. Once we had the will, we needed the means. We didn’t have the resources within our county and city planning departments; nor could we spare funds to hire consultants. We decided to approach our regional Community Action Agency, the Community Services Consortium. The CSC’s leadership accepted this challenge. Their existing housing staff, bolstered by an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer, will coordinate development of the Lincoln County plan. The adoption of this resolution marks the formal start of this process. In the weeks to come, we will be approaching each of the city councils in the county to request they adopt companion resolutions. While these resolutions do not in themselves commit resources, they do make a statement that we consider housing and homelessness to be important challenges in our communities. More importantly, they’re an expression of our collective will to keep this issue high on our agenda and to push for resources and solutions. We have created a new steering committee to oversee development of our plan. This group includes members from all parts of the county, representing a variety of interests. We will hold a formal kick-off event Thursday, September 7th, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Newport. I am pleased to report that Philip Mangano, national coordinator of the U-S Interagency Council on Homelessness, will be on hand for this event. This is a problem we can’t solve overnight…maybe one that can never be solved completely. We can however, make a difference…but only if we take the first step. Additional Quotes: "Our
strategy begins in the White House and extends to the street Philip Mangano Executive Director, US Interagency Council on Homelessness "Every year, approximately 2 million people will experience homelessness and approximately 200,000 will be chronically homeless. We must improve access to and coordination of essential health and social services to prevent new episodes of homelessness from occurring.”
Tommy G. Thompson Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services |
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