Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a contract with the Community Shelter Board (CSB) for the implementation of a new single adult crisis response system. The contract will provide $1,104,612 from the General Fund for the purpose of assisting homeless men and women to transition more efficiently and effectively from a place of homelessness to permanent housing and stability. Despite the economy doing well in Columbus and central Ohio, the number of single adults in homelessness grew 14% over the last three years. With longer shelter stays, and two out of three single adults unable to secure stable housing, the system is struggling to move people out of homelessness. As a result, more than half return to homelessness, filling up much-needed shelter beds. Waitlists for single men and women continue to grow - at times 125 people have been waiting for a shelter bed because they are all full. That means people are sleeping on the streets and in abandoned buildings.
The Community Shelter Board along with its partner agencies will launch a transformational new system designed to move single adults more quickly into stable housing, stop repeat homelessness, and add more capacity when overflow demands are high to make sure everyone who needs shelter is able to get it. There are three key components: First, a new emergency shelter will address the growing numbers of men, women and families who are experiencing homelessness so no one has to sleep on the streets in Columbus. Second, case managers called Navigators will link with a person when they enter the homeless system and work with them throughout their stay. Third, relationships with key partner agencies will be strengthened and enhanced.
The current Navigator pilot program, which received City funding, has demonstrated that this model can enable our community to help individuals who are homeless or near homelessness to resolve their housin...
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