Public Hearing: YES ☐ NO ☒ Department: Community Development
SUBJECT:
Title
Commission District(s): All
Transfer $996,231 from the General Fund to DeKalb County Community Development to support programs and services for individuals who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness.
Body
Information Contact: Allen Mitchell
Phone Number: 404-969-9921
PURPOSE:
To consider approving the transfer of $996,231 from the General Fund to DeKalb County Community Development for programs and services for individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
NEED/IMPACT:
With an annual homeless population of at least 1011 individuals, the County must take steps to mitigate homelessness. The Community Development Department will expend the funds to implement the following strategies. (A) Employ the techniques for mitigating homelessness that it employed for homelessness mitigation among veterans (Functional Zero). The Department will focus homelessness mitigation strategies on a particular subpopulation and develop strategies to provide housing to all in that subpopulation who will accept housing within 120 days. Focus initial homelessness mitigation strategies on households with children and subsequently expand to other subpopulations. (B) As the Department focuses on specific subpopulation efforts, the Department will continue its efforts to assist the most difficult to house subpopulation, those who are unsheltered and chronically homeless (the “street homeless”). Chronic homelessness is complex and requires an extensive collaborative focus. The Department will assist the chronically homeless and unsheltered population in moving to housing while collaborating with mental and physical health providers, mainstream providers, DBHDD, local communities, Police, and other organizations to develop a model for assisting this most difficult to house population. (C) Community Development will add entry and outreach specialists to assist homeless and at-risk individuals in accessing services. To offer safe housing in which homeless individuals can process their trauma, work on issues that led to their homelessness, and build supportive networks that will assist them in the future, the Department will form agreements with providers of transitional housing, bridge housing, and congregate and non-congregate shelters. (D) By braiding the services offered through these funds with services available through the Homelessness Continuum of Care and other sources, the Department will refer individuals appropriately to permanent supportive housing and rapid re-housing assistance, along with the services that can lead to self-sufficiency. For those households who do not qualify for Federal assistance, the Department may provide the services and/or housing that is required to mitigate homelessness.
FISCAL IMPACT:
$996,231 - Cost to the County
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
To approve the transfer of $996,231 from the General Fund to DeKalb County Community Development for programs and services for individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.