Item B: Update on Homeless Initiative Action Plan

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Two men who work for a local construction company come in Monday through Friday. They have missed their normal meal time because of work. They are fed a snack and they take a shower. They will be getting permanent housing in two weeks. A local man was kicked out of his house by his wife. He did not want to go to work without showering and shaving. He came in for breakfast and to clean up. About a week later his wife called and thanked SVDP. She said he was back home and was grateful that he did not have to go hungry and could show up for work, clean and with his pride in tact. FINAL OUTCOME MEASURES Community indicators – measures which reflect the complexity of this issue require the support of many organizations and individuals in addition to the City: ? Number of beds available to homeless community members, by type of person/group served (youth/singles/family). City Measures – measures that are mainly or wholly controlled by City staff or City elected officials. ? Amount of City budget authority allocated to programs that directly help the homeless, including those dollars allocated to service providers. ? Number of City staff who have completed training around interaction with homeless community members. ? Number of trainings and other actions undertaken by the City to educate and address homelessness and understanding of homelessness. ? Number of policies changed to benefit homeless people in Eugene. Next Steps The “Blue Ribbon Committee” completed its work in April 2008. Their recommendations will be forwarded to Eugene, Springfield and Lane County. The Lane County th Commissioners received a presentation on the proposals on July 30. A presentation to Eugene City Council will occur on November 26. A Springfield City Council presentation will likely take place in the fall or winter. Blue Ribbon Committee members concluded that the depth and complexity of needs are significant, and that narrowing the focus or identifying the best approach to finding solutions is challenging. Additionally, the committee met with experts who advise that the public will likely respond more favorably to discussions of “housing needs” rather than “homelessness”. The Committee also concluded that existing laws and policies contribute to the problem and recommended a future review. Project Homeless Connect will continue as an annual event that provides service, education, and community engagement. Reflecting the importance of community Page 7 of 8