Item B: Update on Homeless Initiative Action Plan

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Proposed Funding: $110,000 Expand capacity at Buckley House to serve 3 additional people per night for detoxification, for a total of 14 beds. III. HOUSING CREATING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, HOUSING FOR THOSE WHO NEED SERVICES, AND “HOUSING FIRST” 50% OF THE TOTAL To succeed in school, work, and life people need to have a place to call home. Many hardworking people do not earn enough money to pay for housing. Some people, due to a disability, are physically unable to fully support themselves. Others, including many who receive Social Security Disability benefits, need assistance to succeed in housing because they are unable to qualify for the medical and mental health services that support their stability. In recent years housing costs have increased at twice the rate as wages. The three legs of sustainability are: social equity, economic sustainability and environmental sustainability. In response to the social equity leg and the community needs, the backbone of efforts to address homelessness must be the addition of housing that is affordable for lower-income households. This involves acquiring land and supporting new construction and also acquiring existing housing. Some of this housing must be tied to either temporary or permanent services that will enable the residents to succeed. There is a continuum of housing needs. Some households simply need an affordable place to live. Others require increasing levels of case management or services in order to succeed. Detail of Findings A. Need and impacts on people experiencing poverty and homelessness 1. During the course of a year, over 7,600 unduplicated homeless individuals receive services in Lane County. 2. 2,296 homeless people were specifically counted during a Lane County one-night homeless census on January 25, 2007. 3. 1,906 homeless children were enrolled in Lane County schools in 2006. About half were in Eugene. 1,100 homeless and runaway youth received services from Looking Glass in 2005-06. Homeless children, if they are in school, frequently miss many school days and move from one school to another. They struggle with basic education. Illiteracy is the single biggest predictor of adult criminal activity. Success in school and life is tied to a stable home. 4. 95% of local homeless people who receive any type of services are from our community. 5. 21% of Eugene residents are living in poverty (over 30,000 people). 20 Blue Ribbon Committee on Homelessness, Recommendation April 2, 2008 -- Page