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I. Training to Ensure Implementation of Best Practices
<br />Training and professional development are critical to any homeless
<br />crisis response system. High staff turnover, evolving practices and
<br />promising models, unique client needs and the overall need for
<br />highly specialized services all contribute to the need for ongoing
<br />training. Lane County should review current resources that can
<br />be used for training and consider pooling resources or providing
<br />cross-cutting training throughout the county. For example,
<br />have each provider contribute a modest amount to attend a
<br />countywide housing first training utilizing professional trainers.
<br />TAC recommends that Lane County set aside a budget of roughly
<br />$75,000 annually to assist in continued training costs, which may
<br />include but are not limited to: staff time to oversee a position to
<br />coordinate and communicate upcoming trainings and available
<br />free trainings, funds for hiring ‘experts’ to train staff on specific
<br />topics when free trainings are not available, costs associated with
<br />staff travel time and expenses to attend trainings (i.e., national
<br />trainings), and cost for software, if applicable, to attend remote
<br />trainings.
<br />TAC recommends Lane County establish a training and professional
<br />development protocol that addresses, at minimum, the following:
<br />• Housing First, Progressive Assistance and Client
<br />Choice (Annual)
<br />• Rapid Re-housing Practices (Annual and when a new
<br />provider begins)
<br />• Coordinated Entry (Annual and when significant changes
<br />are made)
<br />• Tenancy Supports and Case Management (Annual in person,
<br />quarterly online)
<br />• CoC Start Up Trainings (Whenever offered by HUD)
<br />• Project and Fiscal Management (Annual for housing
<br />assistance administrators)
<br />• HUD Webinar Trainings (All; every provider must have at
<br />least one attendee)
<br />• VA SSVF Monthly Webinar Series (All SSVF providers)
<br />• New Staff Orientation (All new staff, online modules specific
<br />to program type)
<br />• SOAR (one SOAR specialist mandatory for each provider, or
<br />countywide SOAR training)
<br />• Ongoing webinars offered by national partners such as TAC,
<br />NAEH, and others.
<br />2. ADD LOW-BARRIER EMERGENCY
<br />SHELTER
<br />TAC recommends Lane County expand emergency shelter for
<br />single individuals. As discussed above, Lane County’s current
<br />shelter capacity for single adults is limited, and the beds that do
<br />exist can be difficult to access. Individuals with some of the most
<br />significant vulnerabilities and challenges – criminal histories,
<br />behavioral health issues, etc. – are often unable to access Lane
<br />County’s existing year-round emergency shelter.
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<br />Emerging emergency shelter models, predominately known
<br />as navigation centers, are replacing older shelter models that
<br />traditionally required gender segregation, high barriers and rules
<br />to entry, and no place for personal possessions or partners. While
<br />navigation centers can ‘look’ different, the overarching principles
<br />are the same and include, at minimum, the opportunity for people
<br />to enter with partners, pets, and their possessions. Navigation
<br />centers are designed to serve people who are living in unsheltered
<br />places, on the streets, in encampments, or other places not meant
<br />for human habitation. These individuals can be very vulnerable and
<br />are often fearful or reject accessing traditional shelter and services,
<br />typically due to psychological and/or physical barriers. Navigation
<br />centers are low-barrier, and provide intensive case management to
<br />connect people to public benefits, health services, and permanent
<br />housing, through a housing first philosophy.
<br />TAC recommends that Lane County develop a new year-round
<br />emergency shelter – a navigation center – to serve 75 people. In
<br />preliminary recommendations, TAC discussed a 50-75 bed shelter.
<br />In this final report, TAC provides design and cost recommendations
<br />for 75 beds, with the intention that as the number of unsheltered
<br />individuals in Lane County decreases over time, the emergency
<br />shelter could be scaled back to 50 beds.
<br />Expanding shelter beds is critical to impacting visible homelessness
<br />in the county. Ending homelessness for single individuals, however,
<br />is unlikely unless the county makes system-wide changes to other
<br />crisis system components such as those described in this report.
<br />Shelters will keep people safe and help to engage them in changing
<br />their situation. However, without flow in other system components,
<br />such as PSH, these individuals will find it difficult to exit a shelter to
<br />a permanent housing situation.
<br />TAC’s emergency shelter recommendations are consistent with the
<br />navigation center model, and include specific recommendations in
<br />three areas: shelter location, physical structure, and operations.
<br />Shelter Location Considerations
<br />In identifying a location for the new shelter, the county will want
<br />to consider costs and proximity to services and amenities. TAC
<br />recommends that the county identify a county- or city-owned
<br />vacant lot that is available for a new structure, or county- or
<br />city-owned underutilized property that can be repurposed and
<br />rehabilitated for the shelter. Using county- or city-owned land or
<br />property will be cost-effective. In addition, using public property
<br />may help to mitigate or “ride out” any community opposition that
<br />develops. The majority of existing navigation centers are located
<br />on government-owned land or land temporarily available before
<br />an affordable housing project is developed on the site.
<br />The second consideration in land/property is location. TAC
<br />recommends that the shelter be centrally located. It should be
<br />easily reached by people who are homeless and near amenities
<br />that may be needed such as public bus lines, day shelters, and
<br />health care services.
<br />STRATEGIC POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
<br />PAGE 18
<br />May 13, 2019, Joint Work Session – Item 1
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