Ad Hoc Subcommittee ‘Assembled to Address Issues Relating to Homeless Services under Ordinance 7333 Solutions Subcommittee Report of Recommendations May 9, 2016 Solutions Subcommittee: Juliane Walker, Diann Gilmore, Harvey Johnson, Jennifer Santer, Susan Rogers, Terry Tucker, Raymond Gonzales, Kelly Stephens, Mare Durham, ‘The Ad Hoc Subcommittee found that adequate shelter space was available to all homeless in need of, emergency shelter (excepting those who posed a threat to others or otherwise were in violation of the law). A Solutions Subcommittee was formed under the Ad Hoc Subcommittee to recommend solutions that would address any gaps in homeless services. Although the Ad Hoc Subcommittee found that adequate shelter space was available, the Solutions Subcommittee concluded that certain solutions could bring more homeless off of the streets into shelters and housing. The Solutions Subcommittee reviewed homeless services and compiled a list of recommendations to better accomplish the goals of helping the homeless into shelter, housing, and available services for alcohol and drug addiction, mental, dental and physical health and personal needs while protecting the rights, safety, health and security of the community, property owners, and the public. ‘The Solutions Subcommittee discussed and recognized the importance of day shelters, with certain, committee members proposing that day shelters accompany each of the primary emergency night shelters onsite to better protect the homeless as well as neighboring property owners, businesses and the public; however, committee members were unable to agree on the addition of onsite day shelters to both of the two primary emergency night shelters located downtown. The committee did agree that a day shelter, with homeless services available onsite, was a desirable solution to serve the needs of the homeless, ‘The recommendations of the Solutions Subcommittee outlined below will take varying times to accomplish with a variety of funding sources that will be needed to accomplish each. ‘Therefore, the Solutions Subcommittee makes the following recommendations Page 1 of 12|. Panhandle Behavioral Health Initiative (PBHI) ‘The Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute (MIMHP!) has formed a new solutions committee in the Panhandle called Panhandle Behavioral Health Initiative (PBHI) and Laura Street has been asked to facilitate the PBHI committee here in the Panhandle. Laura contacted Diann Gilmore, Jennifer Santer and Major Harvey Johnson and asked them to serve on the PBHI committee. Laura has explained that the MMHPI group Is basically a ‘think tank’ right. ow. Also participating on this committee are the Amarillo Area Foundation, Bivins Foundation, Harrington Foundation and Baptist Community Services. Funding for the solutions contained herein isthe number one concern of the Solutions Subcommittee and having liaisons atthe PBHI meetings will keep our identified solutions in the forefront of the PSH committee so that any funding opportunities will be identified immediately. Consultant, Dr. Ken Minkoff for PBHI has already expressed support of important recommendations, including the collaborative outreach team and the low-berrier Day Shelter/Safe House. Therefore, the Solutions Subcommittee recommends the following: ‘© The City Solutions Subcommittee recommends that the solutions to gaps in our Amarillo homeless community, contained herein, be presented to PBHI, and updated as needed, so this information will be kept current for the PBHI committee should any funding become available. ML Collaborative Outreach Team ‘+ Anew collaborative outreach program for the homeless on the streets will be created, ‘combining resources under Texas Panhandle Centers, the Veteran's Administration and a newly formed volunteer outreach team consisting of community volunteers and representatives from various homeless service organizations. ‘© Outreach efforts will be on a rotating outreach schedule, in at least pairs, with outreach conducted twice a week (one weekday night and one weekend night). Outreach efforts will also continue during the daytime from time to time, as needed, ‘+ One night each week, the current Guyon Saunders Resource Center Day Room (as long as such GSRC Day Room shall remain in operation) will stay open 24 hours so additional outreach volunteers can bring people into the Day Room to meet with program representatives who will have both giveaways (donated by individuals, programs and agencies) and booths set up to ‘engage those living on the streets. ‘© During the GSRC outreach events, representatives from the housing models may be present and ‘opportunities to obtain drug and alcohol education and treatment will be available. ‘+ Additional funding is needed for this program, which can be up and running by July 1, 2016 if the necessary funding is secured. IM Day Shelter/Safe House In 1993, an old abandoned warehouse was purchased, renovated, and became what was known as the ‘ler Street Resource Center, Later it was renamed the Guyon Saunders Resource Center (GSRC) in honor of Guyon Saunders, a longtime friend and benefactor of the center. The Resource Center was created to be a co-located one-stop shop for homeless services and was sustained by the rent paid by Page 2 of 12the agencies. In recent years, many of the original and current agencies have moved out or are in the process of moving out of the resource center because of changes in service models and needs. New tenants to replace those who are not renewing their leases have not been found, thus making the business model unsustainable. The United Way, which has provided management of the facility and provided dayroom staff through grant funds since 1995, has been bearing the financial burden of the resource center covering expenses not covered by tenant rents. Knowing they would be unable to continue covering the lost income for the resource center, in the fall of 2024 the United Way created the Guyon Saunders Task Force and hired a consultant to find solutions to the current situation. The task force created a proposal for the United Way board that separated the issues of the GSRC facility and the Dayroom. The task force recommended that “The current GSRC facility be sold and a portion of the proceeds go to programs that support the homeless. The facility should be offered to the nonprofit ‘community first and if no interest is expressed by a nonprofit with the financial means to purchase the building, then to the private market.” It further recommended that "A basic needs day shelter program is a critical service for the homeless and should continue to be offered by a nonprofit with proven ‘experience serving this clientele. The day shelter program should enhance services to the homeless by helping clients to determine their next steps toward fulfilling personal goals. Essential services needed in the day room include storage, mail, computers, ID services, hygiene and case management.” The task force suggested two plans for the future of the Dayroom. The first plan was that the Salvation Army ‘would manage the Dayroom. If that was not possible, the task force recommended that the GSRC board manage the Dayroom, In February 2016, the GSRC board made an offer to The Salvation Army for the ‘GSRC building and the Dayroom program. The Salvation Army board carefully considered the offer but ‘was unable to move forward with the project due to the financial burden. It has been concluded that no agency can take on the financial burden of sustaining the day shelter operation without a consistent source of outside funding and broad community support. ‘Without a day shelter, homeless individuals have no place to be during the day, forcing them to be ‘outside on neighboring public and private properties, leading to a variety of harms to the homeless Individuals as well as neighboring property owners, businesses, residents, park visitors and the public. Day shelters located in the vicinity of the night shelters and other homeless services would give Individuals and families experiencing homelessness a safe place to be during the day and provide a critical link to services to assist clients with current needs and putting into place goals and plans to move clients out of homelessness. ‘There is also a need for a Safe House facility at night from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m, that is low-barrier with an ‘outside enclosed courtyard for those who cannot sleep indoors, ensuring that most people are not left ‘on the street. Rather than sleeping in alleys or public areas or trespassing on public properties because they choose not to go to the local shelters, these homeless may be brought to the Safe House by police, Outreach teams, referred by businesses, churches, agencies or drop in on their own at any hour during the night. Many of the homeless consumers will be intoxicated and/or mentally il ‘The new Safe House will separate the homeless consumers from other shelter populations, making, other shelters safer and more desirable and thereby increasing the number who will choose to go to @ shelter and receive housing opportunities, information on recovery programs and supportive services. ‘Therefore, the Solutions Subcommittee recommends the following: + The Safe House (5:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.) portion of the facility will offer services to homeless Individuals and adults only. (Families will generally be directed to Salvation Army or Faith City Mission.) Page 3 of 12The Safe House will be classified as “low barrier” and include two main rules - one cannot use drugs or alcohol on the premises and one cannot fight or otherwise harm others. Security guards may be required 24/7. ‘The Safe House facility will have a fenced-in courtyard, shielded from public access and view, which could also be used as a shelter area for those who cannot sleep in enclosed spaces. The same rules will be used regarding no fighting and no use of alcohol or drugs while on the premises. if there isa fight or use of alcohol or drugs, the Police will be called the homeless consumer will be removed from the facility. ‘The same facility will provide a Day Room (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) to all homeless throughout the day including men, women and children. Onsite homeless services will be available for housing, personal needs, mental, dental and. physical health referrals, and alcohol and drug assessment and referrals from 8-5 in the Day Room. ‘The location of the facility will be contiguous, or as close as possible, to the emergency night shelters where the majority of the facility's users stay in order to reduce, to the greatest extent possible, negative impacts on both the homeless and the neighboring private property owners, businesses and the public. IV, Increased Police Patrol and Response ‘An understanding with the City Is needed that areas of the community where night shelters for homeless and transient individuals are located have a greater need for police patrol and protection. ‘Additional officers and patrol are needed to maintain law and order in the downtown and ‘surrounding area and to respond to calls from businesses and individuals in a timely manner. ‘A method to increase communication between the community, businesses, homeless service providers, civic leaders, the police, prosecutors and the jail is needed to ensure that the goals of helping the homeless while also protecting the community are being optimally addressed. Its recommended that representatives from each of the aforementioned categories also serve on the Advisory Group for the Good Neighbor Plan, discussed below, and also, depending on the ‘category, the Continuum of Care (“CoC”) committee to facilitate communication and promote. problem solving \V. Good Neighbor Plan Communities across America have struggled with the unique challenges of safeguarding the general public's health, safety, and property rights while also providing for the needs of the homeless with emergency night shelters and other services. A heightened risk of negative impacts to the community {exists in regard to shelters and services targeting or serving chronically homeless individuals, particularly ‘those who are often drug or alcohol addicted or mentally ill. Often, there is no communication between the surrounding community and homeless service providers and no process to identify and address negative impacts that develop. Our goal is to provide a process to readily identify issues and facilitate communication and problem solving between affected parties so that harms to the surrounding. Page 4 of 12community can be minimized, while benefits to both the community and the homeless may also be realized. One solution that has been utilized in other communities to achieve this goal is the creation of a Good Neighbor Plan. Good Neighbor Plans provide a mechanism to increase communications between service providers, the homeless and various representatives of the community to promote early and effective problem solving so that public health, safety and property rights may be protected while also ‘optimally addressing the needs of the homeless. Our proposal is for a Good Neighbor Plan that is open to participation with all homeless service providers in our community. This solution will need to be developed in detail by a committee assigned to such task, but we have included some suggestions below. ‘Therefore, the Solutions Subcommittee recommends the development of a Good Neighbor Plan with the following possible features: + An Advisory Committee to oversee the Good Neighbor Plan made up of homeless service providers, homeless individuals, businesses, property owners, residents, neighborhood and downtown advocates, downtown developers, police, City of Amarillo officials and other interested parties; * An outreach to all homeless service providers to be conducted regularly to solicit and maximize participation in the Good Neighbor Plan; ‘+ Required homeless service provider participation in HMIS and the Continuum of Care as part of the Good Neighbor Pian; ‘+ Ameans to incentivize homeless service providers to participate in the Good Neighbor Plan (For example, the Advisory Group, among other things, could distribute a fund to selected participating providers to hire homeless day workers or otherwise engage the homeless in projects that benefit the surrounding community ~ trash pickup, graffiti removal, etc. The Good Neighbor Plan could also award a mark of distinction to homeless service providers that commit, extraordinary efforts to both help the homeless and improve the safety and overall desirability of the neighborhood.}; ‘© Atimely and certain process to bring together relevant members should a problem develop or be identified, with a good faith commitment to work toward a solution that adequately addresses the harms, including a commitment from homeless service providers to attend ‘meetings under the Good Neighbor Plan on an ongoing and as-needed basis; © Community education, including information disseminated to neighboring or other interested stakeholders regarding the Good Neighbor Plan and Code and Conduct, crime prevention, ‘mental illness, and contacts to call to address incidents of homeless individuals behaving in a harmful or threatening way, loitering, trespassing, or committing acts of vandalism or other nuisances on or near their properties; ‘+ The adoption of a Good Neighbor Policy by homeless service providers to be implemented as part of their participation in the Good Neighbor Plan. Sample good neighbor plans are attached hereto for reference. The details of our plan wil difer somewhat and will need to be developed by the committee assigned to develop this project, but elements of our Good Neighbor Policy could include, for example (© Education of homeless clients on crime prevention, how to comply with city ordinances, ‘and why complying with the rules, laws and ordinances is important, Page 5 of 12Education and agreement with homeless clients to adhere to the Good Neighbor Plan guidelines and Code of Conduct, including rules and regulations regarding safety, health and security, on-site and off-site of facilities; Encouragement of homeless clients to participate in provider's projects that benefit or enhance the surrounding community; Education of homeless clients regarding consequences for not complying with laws, city ordinances, and rules provided under the Good Neighbor Agreement, detailing prompt, strict enforcement (e.g. further education, loss of privileges); Incentives for night shelters to either provide day accommodations for residents on-site Or participate with a day shelter in very close proximity so shelter residents will not be forced to live on neighboring properties during the day, and which will also help ‘minimize heavy, regular foot traffic and loitering along and across neighboring properties as homeless clients move between night and day facilities; Adoption of guidelines and a plan, developed in coordination with the police department, for how to address shelter needs of those who are Registered Sex Offenders, other violent offenders or those with warrants, with special emphasis on keeping the community and nearby schools safe; Education of homeless clients on the negative impacts of loitering on public or private properties and agreement with shelter residents regarding how to access and use public and private properties in the community without infringing on the rights of others; Guidelines and education regarding litter control, both onsite and offsite of shelter facilities Guidelines, education and safe practices regarding health and hygiene for homeless clients, designed to promote health within the homeless community and protect health of surrounding community, with facilities providing laundry, storage for backpacks and other items, showers, bathrooms and grooming facilities; Incentives for providers to offer education to homeless clients on issues of health, ‘behavior, and life skills; Policies and procedures for providers and their facilities, developed with the help of the City and Amarillo Police Department, to minimize negative impacts on neighbors, enhance security, provide for prompt removal of graffiti, and inhibit loitering, public drunkenness, drug trafficking, weapons possession, and criminal activity (For example, to prevent crime and minimize negative impacts to neighbors, courtyards are attractive, tall and made out of solid materials such that items may not be passed through or over the fence, making the courtyard completely secured from outside public access and view.); Guidelines, education and safe practices regarding food service, possibly in conjunction with education regarding a Charitable Food Services ordinance, designed to (1) protect, the health of the homeless community, (2) designate appropriate locations and methods for food services, and (3) protect property rights, safety and health of the public and surrounding community. Bage 6 of 12Vi. Enhanced Team Response for Individuals with Severe Mental Illness Severely mentally ill homeless individuals in need of hospital and other care for their mental illness may suffer unnecessarily because of too strict an interpretation of the legal threshold that must be met for hospitalization, i.e. the requirement that the individual must “pose a danger to himself or others.” Such individuals may also suffer due to shortcomings in the coordination of their long-term care after a short-term stay in the Pavilion ‘Therefore, the Solutions Subcommittee recommends the following ‘© Amore inclusive and standardized approach to the hospitalization of those with mental health care needs to be implemented so that individuals can be helped before a crisis causing harm to the individual or the community occurs. * Acoordinated team response needs to be developed with Outreach, Texas Panhandle Centers’ Mobile Crisis Team, the hospitals, CIT police officers and others, as needed, so that individuals in need of mental health services are identified by name and tracked by case management in a coordinated effort ‘© An optimal life plan needs to be developed for each such individual to maximize positive, desirable outcomes and minimize harms to the individual and the community. Vil. Additional Affordable Safe Permanent Housing Units Needed Housing First is the evidenced-based practice that has assisted the chronically homeless population to ‘move most quickly into permanent housing and not return to life on the streets. This solution requires permanent housing vouchers as well as case management and mental health services. Currently, permanent supportive housing is provided by Texas Panhandle Centers (TPC) and the Veteran’s Administration (VA). TPC operates Shelter Plus Care (S+C} through the City of Amarillo’s HUD department. This is @ program designed to provide housing and supportive services on a long-term basis for homeless persons with disabilities ~ primarily those with serious mental iliness, chronic problems with alcohol and/or drugs, and their families who are living in places not intended for human habitation (eg, streets) or in emergency shelters. The program allows for a variety of housing choices, and a range of supportive services funded by other sources, in response to the needs of the hard-to-reach homeless population with disabilities. Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) is community-based services for persons ‘with serious mental iliness who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless. Services include outreach, psychiatric care, case management, psychosocial rehabilitation and housing, assistance. Services are delivered using a holistic approach which supports a person's overall transition goals. The VAs the only Housing First provider at this time in Amarillo. Therefore, the Solutions Subcommittee recommends the following: Page 7 of 12Additional permanent supportive housing units are needed, with continued emphasis on addressing solutions for the chronically homeless mentally ill and homeless individuals with substance addiction + Funding must include housing choice vouchers, additional money for services, and Medicald billing for supportive services. ‘Rapid Re-Housing funding is needed. The Salvation Army currently has Rapid Rehousing funding through the Emergency Solutions Grant and can assist clients with 3-5 months rental assistance. The Salvation Army has recently secured 80% of its requested amount for Rapid Rehousing funding from HUD, totaling $230,000, which funding will assist clients for a year or more. Funding will start October 1, 2016. Rapid Re-Housing will be a critical program to deter and prevent chronic homelessness and additional funding would be greatly beneficial + Additional Housing Choice (Section 8 Housing or HUD Housing) vouchers are needed for those who are homeless. The City has recently designated the homeless as a priority population for Housing Choice vouchers. VIL Additional Transitional Housing Units Needed HUD funded transitional housing in Amarillo is ending September 30, 2016. The 27 families who are currently in HUD Transitional Housing will automatically move Into HUD Section 8 Housing, or now called Housing Choice, on October 1, 2016. Downtown Women’s Center is managing a new community project apartment complex that will have at least 8 designated transitional housing units. Appropriate referrals will be taken from within their own recovery program and from other shelters. Conversation is taking place between DWC and the City to Incorporate the same benefit inthis new transitional housing program as in the HUD Transitional Housing program where qualifying graduates will move from transitional housing to Housing Choice (HUD Section 8) after graduation. Housing Choice is permanent housing. This transition process into permanent housing typically takes from one to two years. The City of Amarillo is currently being asked to provide immediate Housing Choice (Section 8 Housing) vouchers to women with and without children ‘who graduate from Downtown Women's Center's Transitional Housing program. ‘Transitional housing is also successfully being used in many communities in jail diversion programs. Transitional housing programs can be particularly useful in situations involving individuals with mental illness oF those with substance abuse problems who may need a mare interventional, supervised group setting in the beginning months before placement in regular permanent housing ‘Therefore, the Solutions Subcommittee recommends the following: ‘+ Additional transitional housing units are needed for current programs, as discussed above, to successfully transition referred homeless individuals into permanent housings ‘+ Analysis of costs and benefits of jail diversion programs is recommended, particularly for those suffering from mental iliness or substance abuse problems, with identification of any additional transitional housing programs needed for this purpose; ‘© Funding is needed for current transitional housing programs and any new transitional housing programs needed, Page 8 of 12\K. Ordirance Regarding Charitable Food Services rreeding the homeless in parks and other such areas without the proper health, safety and property protectiuns can cause harm to homeless individuals, as well as neighboring property owners, businesses ‘and the public, and can enable a life on the streets. Providing food for the poor is @ desired and cherished activity by many religious and other organizations and should not be discouraged, but such activity should be done in a way that does not harm or infringe on the rights of the homeless, the food proviaers, surrounding property owners and the public. Litter, refuse, waste food and other unsanitary materials from feeding events also pose a significant risk and cost, to the detriment of the surrounding community and the public. And the homeless who receive food outside of shelters are more likely to avoid service agencies that could engage them and help them off of the streets, undermining the substantial investment in money and human resources committed by ‘a multitude of dedicated individuals to this goal. Therefore, the Solutions Committee recommends the following ‘© Anordinance is needed that address the harms outlined above (details and appropriate terminology to be determined by the City Attorney). ‘* An example of such an ordinance in Texas that addresses the above issues -- which ordinance could possibly be enacted by the City of Amarillo ~ is City of Houston, Texas, Ordinance Ne. 7012-269, attached hereto. X Pet Services Occasionally a person falls into temporary homelessness with a beloved pet that is lie a family member, which they cannot bear to lose. A fostering or kenneling program would be immensely beneficial in preventing this loss. It is not the intent of the Solutions Subcommittee to propose night shelter services for animals living with the homeless on the streets. Rather, the committee is proposing a service for full-time fostering or kenneling of cherished pets until stable housing can be found. A limited service is offered in Amarillo for pets to stay at the pound. There have been many requests for additional ‘opportunities for pet fostering or kenneling for homeless clients until they can find housing. ‘Therefore, the Solutions Subcommittee recommends the following: ‘+ Development of a pet fostering or kenneling program for pets of homeless clients until the homeless clients can find stable housing. X1,_ HMIS Funding and the development of a Housing Prioritization System ‘The Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) used by the Continuum of Care has been critical to collecting client-level data on the provision of housing and services to homeless individuals and persons at risk of becoming homeless. The Solutions Subcommittee has recently learned that local funding of HMIS has been cut by HUD, This program is critical to the success of the various homeless services offered locally, as well as those proposed herein. In addition, many communities have developed a system for identifying and categorizing the needs of homeless clients, referred to herein as a Housing Prioritization System, so that homeless clients may be prioritized for optimal housing placement based on the information collected through HMIS. Such Page 9 of 22systems can greatly benefit and enhance housing placement by ensuring that homeless clients are hhoused successfully in the appropriate setting that best meets their needs and the needs of the community. Therefore, the Solutions Subcommittee recommends the following: + An assessment ofthe financial costs of continuing and maintaining HMIS, and any needed changes that will make the local HMIS more effective and accessible to homeless service providers; ‘© Development and implementation of a Housing Prioritization System, accessible to homeless service providers, to identify and categorize the needs of homeless clients so they may be prioritized for optimal housing placement in the appropriate setting based (on the information collected through HMIS; ‘© Training for homeless service providers in HMIS and the Housing Prioritization System; ‘© Funding to ensure that the local HMIS and Housing Prioritization System will continue. XIl, Substance Abuse Treatment Services ‘There are only a few licensed substance abuse treatment programs available to the homeless in Amarillo. The Veteran's Administration offers a substance abuse treatment program. In addition, Amarillo Recovery from Alcohol and Drugs (ARAD) is @ program available only to the homeless and is a 45 day out-patient alcohol and drug treatment program for adults living in homeless shelters. The person in need of treatment is transported by ARAD from their shelter at 8:00 a.m. to ARAD. The person is then transported back to their shelter each day around 4:30 pm. Currently, funding for ARAD only cbvers treatment of 16 individuals and there is along waiting list. Amarillo Count! on Alechelier aid ‘Drug Abuse (ACADA) is state funded and also offers out-patient treatment for adults who are uninsured or underinsured, ‘Amarillo also has a variety of programs for those suffering from alcohol and drug addiction which are not licensed by the state and therefore not considered “treatment,” and each has its own model for recovery, ranging from spiritually based programs such as that offered by Faith City Mission to 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). Homeless individuals benefit by having the option to choose the recovery model that may work best for them, Shelter programs providing some form of alcohol and drug addiction recovery for the homeless in Amarillo include, but are not limited to: ‘Another Chance House ~ for men only; Downtown Women’s Center ~ for women with and without children; Faith City Mission ~for women with and without children and for men; Salvation Army ~ for women and men with and without children. Alcohol and drug addiction is a major contributing factor in chronic homelessness. Substance abuse programs are critical in successfully helping the homeless break the cycle of addiction and find stable housing. ‘Therefore, the Solutions Subcommittee recommends the following: Page 10 of 12xi, xv. ‘= Funding to increase the number of homeless recipients served by licensed substance abuse ‘treatment programs; ‘+ Additional funding for the other types of alcohol and drug addiction programs that target, the homeless ~ such as those listed in the comments above, all of which have waiting lists ~ to ensure such programs continue and additional homeless individuals can be helped. Community Education A resource pamphlet, to be provided by the Coalition for the Homeless, is needed for those living on the street, outlining services available and where and how to obtain them, Business and private property owner education is needed as to resources for help when a homeless person is panhandling, living or trespassing on their property, or a conflict develops. Education of businesses and individuals as to using "No Trespassing” signs and how to register a letter with the police department giving the police an official notice that additional patrol is, requested and needed. Community education is needed in the following areas: > Why feeding in the park and other such places may do more harm than good to the homeless, sustaining addictions and life on the streets, thereby causing negative, dangerous and costly impacts on neighboring property owners, public and private property rights, and public health and safety; > Why giving to panhandlers is not the best way to help those in need but may, in fact, do more harm than good, especially when the money may be used to purchase illegal drugs and alcohol, sustaining a costly and dead-end life on the streets; 7 How to find the list of homeless services available, how to help the homeless through ‘existing agencies, how to donate time, food and money, and what to do when a conflict develops; > How a coordinated and careful, community-wide approach to combating homelessness is necessary to truly help the homeless off of the streets, providing encouragement for those who want to offer food or other items to the homeless to get involved. A publicized website is needed with a clear and simplified description of all homeless services available, funding and other needs as they develop, and how to donate or participate. The Coalition for the Homeless has an existing website but may need a designated volunteer person to keep it current. Recommended Next Steps Move forward now on Collaborative Outreach and bring identified parties doing outreach together to develop a plan of action. Continue moving forward with the solutions outlined above by passing the torch to the Continuum of Care (CoC) Committee, which will begin by forming work groups to develop plans of action for each solution. Page 11 of 12Identify necessary funding for the new Day Shelter/Safe House by working with United Way, City of Amarillo, Potter and Randall Counties, Panhandle Behavioral Health Initiative (PBHI), downtown businesses and subject matter experts. (Note: Once funded, various homeless service organizations will ikely step forward with a desire to operate this project. Given the history of this project discussed in previous sections herein, itis important to note that with adequate long-term funding, Salvation Army will also be interested in being considered as the operator for this new facility.) Schedule regular bi-annual meetings of the Ad Hoc Subcommittee so that all interested parties ‘may participate, keep informed and provide input as various solutions are developed. Page 12 of 12