Item B: Update on Homeless Initiative Action Plan

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The committee recommends two budgetary actions for 2008. a) Fund a comprehensive community analysis that has two purposes. ? The analysis would identify specific goals, strategies, and actions for housing and homelessness that would be funded by a local option levy. ? The analysis would then provide a road map for community engagement and education that would take place prior to Council placing the proposal on the ballot. The Blue Ribbon committee helped the community identify what is commonly known and not known about the housing and homelessness crisis. One important conclusion of the BRC’s work is that there is much more that still must be learned and a deeper look is needed by professionals who can provide perspectives from other communities. A $75,000 budget is recommended based on previous City of Eugene experience with the cost of contracting with skilled consultants to work with staff and community members to write a plan. The work would take place over a six to nine month period. Funds would pay for facilitation, consulting assistance, staff time, meeting expenses, and costs of printing and other materials. Existing Eugene housing staff is currently unable to perform these tasks while continuing to meet existing work demands, including the allocation of existing federal funds and managing the contracts that result in the creation of low-income housing units and services. Additionally, because existing work is primarily funded through federal grants sources, it can not be easily allocated for this type of planning. The product would be modeled after other planning efforts such as Portland’s “Bridges to Housing” or the City of Eugene planning efforts, such as the Pedestrian and Bicycle Strategic Plan and the Park Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Comprehensive Plan. The PROS plan, for instance, determined specific proposals for park developments which were subsequently funded by a voter-approved bond measure. If the community is to support a dedicated funding source at the polls, it must be first provided with a blueprint of actions and funding justifications. The proposed strategic plan process recognizes the critical involvement of a wide range of agencies and entities within Eugene as well as the need to activate a community-wide response to homelessness. This process will include the following components: Comprehensive Community Analysis, Part 1: In-Depth Assessment The first phase will involve gathering critical information and perspectives in several areas of housing and homelessness. Much of this data is available from service providers but has not been organized and presented in a concise report that can easily inform and educate elected officials and the public. A consultant will likely be used to compile and analyze existing information provided by regional public and private entities. Because housing and homeless problems are regional issues that ideally embrace regional solutions, data from Eugene, Springfield and Lane County must be considered. In addition, the assessment phase will gather and analyze the perspectives of community stakeholder groups. The primary areas for assessment are as follows: ?Needs and perspectives of persons who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness ?Perspectives of the public at large ?Perspectives of services and housing providers 10 Blue Ribbon Committee on Homelessness, Recommendation April 2, 2008 -- Page