Fiscal Note
Acceptance of this report does not commit any funds at this time. The Council will need to act separately on specific proposals to proceed with City commitment of funds. The City does have available about $230,000 annually from various Federal and State sources that are directed specifically to programs that reduce homelessness.
Title
Accepting the Community Plan To Prevent and End Homelessness in Dane County and directing City staff and Commissions to work with other funders and community groups to consider the recommended strategies as they develop and implement their programs.
Body
BACKGROUND:
The City of Madison has been a leader in community efforts to prevent and reduce homelessness over the last 25 years. Working with other resources such as Dane County Human Services, United Way, and the faith community, the City helped spark the formation of the group that has become the Dane County Homeless Services Consortium. The City helped develop the coordinated shelter referral system and the reporting networks that provide baseline data on homeless trends. In addition, the City, working with the Homeless Services Consortium, has applied for and received Federal funds available through the State of Wisconsin and HUD that have been directed toward strengthening the system of programs and services that form a continuum of care that addresses homeless services and prevention issues. In addition, the Madison Community Development Authority and the Dane County Housing Authority provide rental assistance and housing that help serve as a major buffer against homelessness within this community.
The Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development has asked communities across the nation to form ten-year plans to reduce homelessness, and indicated that it will give preference in its funding to those communities that have formulated such plans. Several local groups, organized by the Dane County Consortium, have held some community conversations to obtain suggestions for a plan to end homelessness.
ACTIONS:
WHEREAS, the community of citizens of the Dane County community, its various community groups and public bodies have expressed a goal to end and prevent homelessness,
WHEREAS the Dane County Homeless Services Consortium has developed a plan and set of strategies to provide a focus for continuing community, private, and public efforts to reduced homelessness within Dane County,
WHEREAS the City of Madison CDBG Commission has reviewed the plan and identified particular strategies that the Commission can pursue as part of its mission and programs,
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the CDBG Commission and the CDA recommend Common Council acceptance of the Community Plan and direct staff to pursue the following principles as they develop future budgets and programs:
Ø Continue to play an active role with the Dane County Homeless Services Consortium to implement the Community Plan components and to actively monitor its progress in ending homelessness;
Ø Continue to provide available resources to non-profit agencies to prevent homelessness by serving those at risk of homelessness;
Ø Continue to document and describe the patterns of homelessness and strategies to address them, and work with other private and public agencies to seek Federal, State, and WHEDA support to provide the resources needed.
Ø Assist non-profit agencies in acquiring properties to create newly affordable housing units, and assist non-profit agencies in rehabilitating existing properties to create safe and decent housing units;
Ø Continue to provide available resources to homeless individuals and families to help them make the transition from homelessness to stable housing;
Ø Continue to provide quality affordable housing and provide housing choice vouchers as ways to increase the supply of affordable housing;
Ø Support the exploration of new approaches, best practices, and alternative housing and services models to address the goals of homeless prevention and reduction.
Note: The Plan outlines a range of specific strategies on page 40 through 55. The City will address some of those strategies through its discussion and adoption of the Madison CDBG and Madison CDA work plans and budgets in the coming years.