HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 11042014 - D.3RECOMMENDATION(S):
APPROVE and ENDORSE Forging Ahead Towards Preventing and Ending Homelessness: An Update to Contra
Costa’s 2004 Strategic Plan.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The creation and endorsement of the Strategic Plan Update will allow the County to meet federal requirements for
funding to prevent and end homelessness. There is no match requirement and no additional County funds are required
to endorse the Strategic Plan Update.
BACKGROUND:
In 2004, Contra Costa Interagency Council on Homelessness created “Ending Homelessness in Ten Years: A
County-Wide Plan for the Communities of Contra Costa County,” which has served us well in uniting as a
Continuum of Care to develop a county-wide response to homelessness.
In that time, we've seen the Housing First approach take hold in CoCs across the nation, promoted by the U.S.
Interagency Council on Homelessness, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the National
Alliance to End Homelessness, among others.
“Forging
APPROVE OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
Action of Board On: 11/04/2014 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
Clerks Notes:
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
Contact: Lavonna Martin,
313-7704
I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board
of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: November 4, 2014
David Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors
By: , Deputy
cc: Lavonna Martin, T Scott, C Rucker
D.3
To:Board of Supervisors
From:William Walker, M.D., Health Services Director
Date:November 4, 2014
Contra
Costa
County
Subject:Endorse Forging Ahead Towards Preventing and Ending Homelessness: An Update to Contra Costa’s 2004 Strategic
Plan
BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)
Ahead Towards Preventing and Ending Homelessness: An Update to Contra Costa’s 2004 Strategic Plan,” to be
released in October 2014, reaffirms Contra Costa’s commitment to the Housing First approach by establishing this
guiding principle: “Homelessness is first a housing issue, and our system must be nimble and flexible enough to
respond through the shared responsibility, accountability, and transparency of the community.”
The Strategic Plan Update process took place from March to September of 2014, focused on extensive community
outreach to four key stakeholder groups: executive leadership, program staff, consumers, and targeted community
groups. Input has been collected through monthly meetings of a Strategic Plan Ad Hoc Committee, focus groups with
consumers and executive leadership, key stakeholder interviews, and coordination with the 2015-2020 Contra Costa
Consortium Consolidated Plan survey of needs.
Two key themes emerged from our stakeholder outreach process: permanent housing and prevention. To that end, the
Strategic Plan Update focuses on two goals:
1. Decrease the length of time people experience homelessness, and
2. Decrease the percentage of people who become homeless.
To achieve those goals, the Contra Costa Interagency Council on Homelessness will be developing 2015 benchmarks
to measure progress, as supported by three key strategies:
1. Coordinated Assessment: Implement a coordinated assessment system to streamline access to housing and services
while addressing barriers, getting the right resources to the right people at the right time.
2. Performance Standards: Use best, promising, and most effective practices to give the consumer the best possible
experience through the strategic use of resources.
3. Communication: Develop the most effective platforms, such as websites, email, videos, and social media, to
provide access, support advocacy, and connect the community about homelessness and available resources.
Endorsement of this Strategic Plan Update by the Board of Supervisors will reaffirm Contra Costa’s goals of
preventing and ending homelessness, while highlighting the key strategies to be pursued by the Contra Costa
Interagency Council on Homelessness. A coordinated response to homelessness is in alignment with the requirements
of federal funding sources for homeless assistance, and will effect change through improved outcomes for persons
experiencing homelessness, as well as improved competitiveness in national competitions for federal funding sources.
CLERK'S ADDENDUM
Speakers: Jasmine Tarkoff, Muliti-faith Action Coalition; Teri House, Homeless Advisory Board; Peter Brooks,
Multi-Faith Action Coalition; Pat Reyes, Multi-Faith Action Coalition; Mary Fenelon, Multi-Faith Action
Coalition; Nancy Williams, Multi-Faith Action Coalition. The following people did not wish to speak but left
written comments for the Board's consideration: Rebecca Calahan Klein; Melody How Weintraub.