Resolution No. 4834 Exhibit - Laserfiche WebLink

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services that did not effectively address their needs or prevent them from falling into homelessness. These characteristics contribute to the long or repetitive patterns of homelessness they exhibit. They also reflect why re-engaging a chronically homeless person with treatments can be challenging. In addition to these issues, extreme poverty, poor job skills, lack of education, and negative childhood experiences are common features of chronic homelessness. Currently, limited support services exist in Lane County for homeless singles with mental illness and co-occurring substance abuse problems and other special needs. The problems have been compounded by the recent closures of State hospitals, which have limited shelter options available to adults with mental illness. The foster care system in Lane County has been significantly overtaxed because of the shortage of suitable living alternatives. The number of homeless adults with mental illness remains high and is estimated between 800 and 1,200 each year in Lane County. The Eugene Mission, the only major homeless shelter facility for singles (with no professional counseling available, no staff trained in crisis intervention, no mental health para-professionals or professionals), has reluctantly served this vulnerable population throughout the years. The 24-bed Royal Avenue Shelter is intended as an alternative to psychiatric hospitalization for homeless mentally ill persons who need extra support, assistance, and medication monitoring. Because of a shortage of transitional and assisted housing units and delays in obtaining SSI payments, there is often a "bottleneck" at this facility. In 1997-98, the introduction of managed care in public mental health services broadened access to services through the Oregon Health Plan (OHP). Managed care has meant the redistribution of severely limited dollars to an ever-increasing population requiring services. Available support for the most severely impaired adults has therefore been reduced, making the need for residential options critical. Lane County mental health staff has estimated that 2,500 of the single homeless population and 10.0% of the female heads of households with dependent children in shelters or transitional housing have a severe mental illness. These percentage estimates were applied to the data from the one-day point-in-time study. Overall estimates of the homeless mentally ill population have been substantiated by the State of Oregon Office of Mental Health Services. June 2004 data states that 18.6% of the mentally ill receiving State-sponsored mental health services had been homeless during fiscal year 2002/03. Additionally, a 2001 University of Oregon study found that an estimated 30.0% of the homeless population were mentally ill. Supportive services for single homeless individuals are not adequate and this group has the least amount of public assistance available to them. A majority of this population are males who have little skills and multiple problems. Aside from the Lindholm Center operated by SVdP, which provides access services to over 100 homeless singles each day, and the Safe Haven Day Room, an outreach program which serves 70 mentally ill homeless people daily, the community has not significantly invested in the development of programs for treatment needs of single homeless adults. The gaps analysis suggests that an enhancement and increase of homeless prevention efforts including eviction prevention counseling, renter rehabilitation training, rental assistance, housing scholarships, and private sector family sponsorships are needed. Regarding emergency housing services, estimates from the housing gaps analysis show that approximately 2,159 homeless persons were served that needed housing. Further evidence to this need can be obtained from the Lane County Nightcount Report data as