9978-09 Appropriating $2,463,435 from Community Development (Fund 212), defraying expenses of CED

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St. Joseph County Housing Consortium With the support of the 2009 Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing (HPRP) funds, the Continuum of Care (CoC) agencies have worked together to design a collaborative process based on referrals and complementary programs and services. One agency will serve as the single point of entry to provide financial assistance and make referrals to other appropriate agency partners. The process will include shelter housing, movement to current ESG or SHP funded agency programs, and working with the CoC to ensure needs are met appropriately per client. Case management services will be available through four agencies to regularly assess the needs of clients. One agency in particular will serve returning prisoners who are homeless. Major participants in the CoC Planning Committee are representatives of organizations serving the area's homeless housing needs. They include AIDS Ministries/AIDS Assist, The Center for the Homeless, Dismas House, Hope Ministries, Life Treatment Centers, Madison Center, the United Religious Community, Youth Service Bureau, and the YWCA of St. ]oseph County. Through regular discussion at the CoC Planning Committee, these organizations are able to implement interagency strategies to shelter homeless persons. Examples of interagency coordination include the city's "Weather Amnesty" program, which creates a structure for sheltering homeless people when weather conditions make it unsafe to remain outdoors. All of the city's shelters participate by creating temporary emergency housing resources during the weather amnesty. Another cooperative effort involves the use of rental assistance dollars for homeless persons who qualify for Permanent Supportive Housing. Regardless of which agency the person has been served by, he/she can access rental assistance dollars administered through the Center for the Homeless. Another example of interagency approach is Madison Center's providing staff to do mental status assessments at the homeless shelters. If homeless persons are assessed as having a mental illness, they are provided assistance by one of Madison Center's case managers or referred to other appropriate services. St. Joseph County has a long history of providing services to the homeless population dating back to the time of the First World War when the City Rescue Mission was established. By the 1950's the City Rescue Mission had become a youth services organization and was replaced as a shelter by Hope Rescue Mission founded in 1954 by the Mennonite Church. (Over fifty years later, and now named Hope Ministries, it continues to play a leading role as a homeless services provider in the county.) Also providing temporary, low cost housing during the first two thirds of the century were several privately run Single Room Occupancies (SROs); however, the major providers of SROs closed down in the 1970's and 1980's. The loss of the SRO units helped created the situation that led the United Religious Community to open an emergency shelter in 1984 to house homeless persons. This emergency shelter evolved into the Center for the Homeless in 1988. The CoC Planning Committee also offers a forum to share information. For example, if various homeless service organizations are having similar difficulties working with an entitlement provider, plans are made to meet with Social Security or Medicaid officials to try to expedite the enrollment process. The Committee also serves as a meeting place where inter-agency problems regarding referrals, miscommunications or perceived service breakdown can be discussed. Since most of the members of the CoC Planning Committee are high-level administrators of their respective organizations, problem-solving can take place in an efficacious manner. . • To serve as a forum for communication among homeless service and housing providers. • To identify needs of the homeless population. • To provide opportunities to foster interagency collaboration. 2010-2014 Housing and Community Development Plan 55