Memorandum Date: September 13, 2019

Order Date: October 1, 2019

TO: Board of Commissioners

DEPARTMENT: Health & Human Services

PRESENTED BY: Steve Manela, Human Services Division Manager

Bob Cerince, Human Services Supervisor

AGENDA ITEM TITLE: DISCUSSION ONLY MEMORANDUM: UPDATE ON THE

HOMELESS AND SUPPORTIVE HOUSING SYTEM REPORT
RECOMMENDATIONS (TAC) IMPLEMENTATION AND A
PRESENTATION ON THE EUGENE MISSION

I. MOTION
None: Discussion Only.
II. AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
The purpose of this work session is to update the Lane County Board of Commissioners on
the status of the implementation plan for recommended improvements and transformation of
the homeless service and supportive housing system. The improvements call for the
development of additional capacity for: homeless outreach and crisis response; prevention
and diversion of homelessness; a highly functional coordinated entry system that actively
works with those in need of housing and services; navigation center services and a low-
barrier shelter as a vehicle to move more participants into permanent housing with the
appropriated health and social service supports that they need; and the development of
additional Permanent Supportive Housing for people with behavioral health and/or chronic
health conditions that other have significant barriers to their stable housing. Additionally,
Sheryl Balthrop, Executive Director of the Eugene Mission will provide a description of the
vision, mission and work of the organization and its partnership with the Lane County
Continuum of Care to address homelessness in the region.

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III. BACKGROUND/IMPLICATIONS OF ACTION
A. Board Action and Other History

In the fall of 2017, Lane County, with the participation and additional funding
support of the City of Eugene, selected the Technical Assistance Collaborative
(TAC) to conduct a Public Shelter Feasibility Study and Homeless Service System
Analysis for Lane County. TAC presented their final report at a Joint Elected
Officials meeting on January 22, 2019.

After that meeting, a Steering Committee comprised of City of Eugene and Lane
County elected officials, public administrators, and constituent appointees to the
County Poverty and Homelessness Board developed an implementation plan based
on the report’s proposals. A prominent feature of the plan includes the recruitment of
a Systems Integration Manager (SIM) to guide the community planning process to
select a site for the recommended 75-bed emergency shelter, as well as the
development of 350 permanent supportive housing units for people with behavioral
health and/or with disabling conditions which pose significant barriers to their stable
housing. An initial recruitment for the SIM through a Request for Proposal process
was unsuccessful. Therefore, a new search to fill the position through a recruitment
firm is underway.

Additionally, the Eugene City Council has allocated $1.9 million for the proposed
low-barrier emergency shelter, a pilot mobile street outreach team, a pilot landlord
engagement program to incentivize private sector property owners to contribute to
the supportive housing inventory, and flexible funding to meet emerging system
transformation opportunities. The City and County are equally sharing costs of
staffing the implementation plan, including the SIM and Outreach and Coordinated
Entry staff.

Lane County Health and Human Services is working through the Poverty and
Homelessness Board and its sub-committees on program and staffing plans to further
other recommendations of the Homeless and Supportive Housing System Report,
including: improving homeless outreach and crisis response; increasing system
capacity for prevention and diversion of homelessness; developing a functional
coordinated entry system that actively works with those in need of housing and
services; and creating a navigation center and a low-barrier shelter as a vehicle to
move more participants into permanent housing with the appropriate health and
social service supports that they need.

B. Policy Issues
The Homeless and Supportive Housing System Report provided by TAC and
subsequent work of the Poverty and Homelessness Board with Human Services staff
support will provide options for local elected officials to consider in addressing
improvements to the area’s homeless service and supportive service system,
development of an emergency shelter, and the increase of permanent supportive
housing inventory.

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C. Board Goals
The Lane County Strategic Plan calls for addressing the community’s need for
affordable housing and addressing homelessness. Specifically, it calls for increasing
housing options for residents to reduce the incidence of homelessness and increase
affordability. Specific strategies include: convening, sponsoring, and implementing a
collaborative multi-jurisdictional affordable housing action plan; identifying and
implementing programs for supportive housing, short-term transitional housing, and
long-term and permanent solutions to address homelessness; increasing access to
prevention and treatment services and developing programs; and for developing
policy focused on behavioral health, community health, and youth.

D. Financial and/or Resource Considerations

Lane County along with its City partners in the Human Services Commission will
need to continue to identify, fund, perform resource development for grants and
advocate for resources to continue to fund shelter and supportive housing
development, operations and services. The Poverty and Homelessness Board
recommendations will outline options for use of resources needed to address housing
and service needs of homeless populations in Lane County. Related, a Board Order
is also on the October 1, 2019 agenda to approve an Intergovernmental Agreement
with the City of Eugene that will provide a means to jointly fund staffing for these
initiatives.

E. Health Implications
Poor health can contribute to being homeless, and being homeless can lead to poor
health. Limited access to health care can make it worse. That is why the health of
homeless people is worse than that of the general population. Common health
problems include:
• Mental health problems
• Substance abuse problems
• Bronchitis and pneumonia
• Problems caused by being outdoors
• Wound and skin infections

Many women experiencing homelessness are victims of domestic or sexual abuse.

Homeless children have high rates of emotional and behavioral problems, often from
having witnessed abuse.
For many, the daily struggle for food, shelter, clothing, and safety relegates health to
a distant priority which, in turn, exacerbates disease, complicates treatment, and
drives excess mortality.
Community Health Centers of Lane County, Lane County Behavioral Health and
Whitebird Clinic are health care for the homeless (HCH) project sites, funded by the
Health Resources and Services Administration as federally qualified health centers;
they now feature multidisciplinary integrated care teams that use an array of
dedicated care strategies to address the health care needs of the homeless.

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 The PHB Healthcare Committee is studying strategies for additional
multidisciplinary and Assertive Community Treatment teams that can co-locate
medical, mental health, addictions services, coordinate vertical integration of
components within the health care system (such as the clinic, health center,
emergency department, and hospital), and facilitate horizontal integration with other
key sectors, including the criminal justice system, after-jail services, social services,
and housing.

F. Analysis

The 2019 Point in Time Count (PITC) revealed 2,165 people experienced
homelessness in Lane County on January 30, 2019. This represents a 32% increase
from the previous count in 2018. 1,633 individuals, families and children went
without shelter on January 30, 2019. 411 of the unsheltered were in alternative
shelter programs such as Opportunity Village, Car Camping Programs, Dusk to
Dawn, and Community Supported Shelters.

The system recommendations offered through TAC’s Homeless and Supportive

Housing Systems Report will be more likely to succeed when a broad base of
stakeholders, constituents, and policy makers have consensus on the goals, progress
indicators, and public messaging about the community effort to reduce homelessness
and its impact on the quality of life. To this end, a community planning process has
been scheduled for Thursday and Friday, October 10-11, 2019 from 9 am to 3 pm
each day at the Village Green in Cottage Grove. This event will offer an opportunity
for shared learning, community feedback, goal articulation, and consensus on how
progress will be measured. Elected officials, neighborhood leaders, business
representatives, service providers, people with lived experience, faith-based leaders,
and other stakeholders have been invited to shape this community effort to provide a
roadmap for the improvement of the system that will transform the current homeless
services and housing programs and reduce the number of homeless Lane County
residents.

The Eugene Mission is the largest single provider of emergency shelter services for
Lane County with a capacity to serve 320 individuals each night. Its collaboration
with the Continuum of Care of housing and services for the unhoused is a vital part
of the region’s efforts to reduce homelessness and serve a vulnerable population with
complex needs.

G. Alternatives/Options
Information only, no action requested at this time.

IV. RECOMMENDATION
Information only, no action requested at this time.

V. TIMING/IMPLEMENTATION
• October 10-11, 2019, Community Impact Kickoff

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VI. FOLLOW-UP

Report back to the HSC, PHB and the BCC on Community Impact Kickoff

VII. ATTACHMENTS

None