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<br /> <br />CITY COUNCIL PRIORITY ISSUE STATUS REPORT <br /> <br />Develop a Strategy to Help the Homeless in Eugene <br /> <br />Contact: Angel Jones, City Manager Pro Tem, 682-5336 <br /> Richie Weinman, Staff Lead, 682-5533 <br /> <br />Reporting period: October – December 2007 <br /> <br />DESCRIPTION <br /> <br />Eight strategic issues were identified at the February 2005 retreat of the City of <br />Eugene’s Mayor, City Council, and Executive Managers. One strategic issue was to <br />“Develop a strategy to help the homeless in Eugene.” Council wanted to determine the <br />City’s future role in addressing this complex, international issue. The inter-departmental <br />Homelessness Action Planning Team worked to develop a three- to five-year action <br />plan. This team was expanded to include staff from the Lane County Human Services <br />Commission and representatives of the City’s Human Rights Commission. Mayor Piercy <br />frequently attended the meetings. Council reviewed this plan on two occasions in 2005 <br />(July 13 and November 30) and approved the work plan. Council has since reaffirmed <br />this goal for 2006 and 2007. <br /> <br />On May 17, 2006, Council reviewed options to address homelessness. Following a <br />recommendation to the Budget Committee, council approved a series of “one-time” <br />appropriations and provided direction on the next steps for stable, sustainable funding. <br /> <br />OUTCOMES <br />Since homelessness has the potential to touch every resident and neighborhood within <br />the City, council acknowledged staff’s expanded definition of “the homeless” to include <br />community members who are “at risk” of becoming homeless because they cannot <br />afford food and shelter. Homelessness is not isolated to Eugene; therefore, the City of <br />Eugene needs a great deal of public assistance, especially from Lane County, the State <br />of Oregon, and the Federal Government. The following goals and actions were taken <br />by the City’s staff team in order to make recommendations to the City Council: <br /> <br />1. Examined ways to more efficiently deliver services with existing resources based <br />on the evaluation of City service delivery to homeless/at risk populations. <br />Result: Beginning in 2005, service delivery improvements include providing <br />library cards to homeless people and improving the way the City addresses <br />homeless camping complaints. <br /> <br />27 <br />Blue Ribbon Committee on Homelessness, Recommendation April 2, 2008 -- Page <br />