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Norfolk Homeless Consortium Strategic Priorities 2003 – 2005 |
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 The
Norfolk
Homeless Consortium is made up of a group of service providers, city
agencies, interested citizens, and persons and institutions of the
faith-based community. The Consortium is the key entity responsible for
developing and implementing Norfolk’s strategy to end homelessness in
Norfolk and to prepare the Continuum of Care document for submission to
the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for homeless
assistance funding.
While maintaining funding for much needed services to address the increasing problem of homelessness in our city is vital, the Consortium has also agreed on a long-range approach to ending versus managing homelessness. The main concern of all agencies involved is to prevent homelessness as much as possible, thus saving money later spent for long-term care and support. To do this, all public systems that dump into the homeless assistance programs must be strengthened. Affordable housing is the biggest issue facing low-income families across the nation today. More than 4 million households today are in need of affordable housing units. A recent capacity assessment conducted in Norfolk showed that of all subsidized one- and two-bedroom units, there is a zero vacancy rate and at least a six-month waiting list. There is a longer waiting list for public housing units, which make up 4% of Norfolk’s housing stock. Approximately 20% of homeless individuals face long-term or chronic homelessness due to a disability of some kind. Providing permanent supportive housing (housing with services) for those individuals is the most effective way to cut costs and streamline services within a community. However, for this to work, there must be adequate resources that include mental and physical health services, substance abuse treatment, transportation and others. Prioritizing projects that get proposed to HUD requires a community strategy that determines the community’s priorities for funding. Priorities should be established through a fair and rational process using objective criteria, developed by and coordinated with an inclusive a group as possible. The Consortium has established long-term priorities as they infrequently change in our community. While looking at affordable housing issues, supportive service needs, and the trend of homeless persons in our community, the Priorities Committee created a comprehensive list that includes all major needs in Norfolk that the Consortium hopes to address over the next three-year period. Included in this list are housing needs, both long-term and short-term, for our homeless population, as well as supportive services that are either missing or are inadequate. It is essential to streamline existing services while addressing the lack of both residential and support services, and the constant stream of turnaways from both that is happening everyday in our city. In addition, a recommended number of beds or units to be created are included under each housing priority. While there are turnaways of families and single men coming to emergency shelters, it is not the aim of the Consortium to increase the supply of these beds available in Norfolk. It is the intention that by increasing and improving the services listed below, service providers will get benefits to these persons more quickly to move them out of the emergency shelters faster, freeing up beds and effectively increasing the supply. It is most important to move homeless clients through the continuum of care as quickly as possible, while at the same time identifying opportunities for transitional and permanent housing. |
The first five
priorities listed below are considered to be urgent for the City of
Norfolk.
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