Item 2A: Approval of Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Ms. Jones indicated that the "education piece" was one of the first steps in the action plan. She sought to define some of the aspects of homelessness that Mr. Pryor and the councilors had raised. She indicated that part of the charge to the group gathered to work on this was to identify the population the City should target or whether the City should target all of them. She noted there were a number of myths about homelessness and part of the early work sought to dispel those myths. Ms. Ortiz appreciated the "quick work" from staff. She acknowledged her need to learn more and conveyed her support for the plan. She was uncertain that one population could be chosen over another. She stressed that all homeless people were human beings. She supported a broad-based approach, adding that it was important to remember that some of the homeless population had mental health issues. Ms. Bettman cited page 20 of the AIS, on which it was suggested that resources to abate homelessness could cost between $5 and $20 million and said she would not like to engage in a lengthy process that would result in a recommendation for a large expenditure that could not be sustained. She averred that much of the material was recycled from past work. She opined that the council would never be experts on the issue and should refer to the experts in the community and the programs already in existence that were effective. Ms. Bettman felt the council should prioritize the programs and then it should fund those deemed most important. She preferred utilizing the expertise and accomplishing something over engaging in a lengthy discussion. Ms. Bettman recommended a focus on homeless youth because she felt at that point intervention could break the cycle. She agreed that mental health issues were a contributing factor. She agreed that keeping people who were on the verge of becoming homeless in their homes was good prevention. She averred that the problem had been well-defined and the City did not have a wide universe of options because of limited resources. She felt continuation of funding for the Safe & Sound Program and for the beds at Station 7 should be a high priority. Mr. Pap6 expressed appreciation for the work staff had done on the AIS. He especially appreciated Attachment B: Chronological History of Homeless Efforts and Actions. He encouraged every councilor to serve one term on the Housing Policy Board (HPB) as it provided a great education. He commented that one could not address homelessness only through housing as there was a strong mental health aspect to the issue. He thought a place to start would be to provide for a networking service that had one number that all people could call. Mayor Piercy solicited a second round of comments and questions. Mr. Kelly noted that local history featured a series of pilot programs that had experienced some degree of success but had not received ongoing funding. He wanted to avoid this. He stressed that the solution or initiatives resulting from this endeavor needed to become incorporated into ongoing City practices. Mr. Kelly asked for more information regarding the County's request for funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Ms. Bettman asserted that one strategy she wanted to see in the plan would be a focus of State and federal money to help the homeless "instead of diverting it to capital projects or improving alleys." She averred that the latter had been "immortalized in the Consolidated Plan." MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 13, 2005 Page 7 Work Session