09/28/1988 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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e The economic dislocation caused by changes in the industrial structure of Lane County have placed many individuals and families at-risk. Unemployment and underemployment, more limited incomes from available jobs, and a lack of health/mental health benefits have all served to place increasing numbers of Lane County residents at-risk. Limited assistance from current welfare programs place recipients of this assistance at-risk and force them into a constant struggle to meet basic needs. Mr. Downes said although de-institutionalization and community programs for the mentally ill should lead to more humane and caring treatment for clients, constant underfunding of programs and nonexistent services have placed substantial numbers of chronically, severely, and moderately mentally ill individuals at-risk. Mr. Downes said the fact that over 60,000 Lane County residents are living at 125 percent of the federal poverty threshold, is great cause for concern. He said that as a community we confront an interrelated and increasingly serious set of human needs that must be dealt with. Mr. Downes said that in this initial effort to identify serious human needs in Lane County, it has become apparent that a number of significant gaps exist in the human service delivery system. These are areas where serious needs have been identified, but no (or only limited) programs and services are accessible to households with limited resources. Mr. Downes reviewed some of these gaps including: the lack of transitional and permanent affordable housing for low- and moderate-income households and the homeless; the lack of jobs that pay a living wage and provide health insurance e benefits; the lack of accessible health care for individuals and households with limited incomes and/or no health insurance; a lack of preventive mental health programs; a lack of programs to deal with families in crisis, and to prevent violent acts against spouses and abuse/neglect of children; a lack of comprehensive care systems for adults and youth addicted to drugs and alcohol; and, a lack of adequately funded preventive substance abuse programs. Mr. Downes said there are several ways in which the citizens, public officials, and others influential in community affairs can participate in this capacity development project. These include: enhancing cooperation between jurisdictions; changing the formal legal rules and procedures that impede service delivery; improving the management of private nonprofit human service agencies; improving the oversight capability of agencies funding human services; increasing human and fiscal resources; and forming an effective coalition capable of achieving needed changes in the planning, financing, production, and delivery of human services. Mr. Downes said the three major local agencies funding human service programs--the United Way, Lane County's Department of Health and Human Services, and the Joint Social Services Fund budget and advisory committees--are committed to using the information in the needs assessment to set funding priorities, allocate resources, and to help in the process of improving human services in Lane County. Mr. Downes stressed the importance of other private and public agencies making a similar commitment. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 28, 1988 Page 4