By Rebecca Stoll
On December 21, 2011, the Suncoast Partnership to End
Homelessness unveiled a plan they call Step
Up: End Homelessness in Sarasota County Now. The plan is a community effort
and proposes greater collaboration between local agencies, the engagement of
volunteers, and a Continuum of Care that embraces a Housing First model of
moving homeless people into housing quickly. StepUp seeks not only to help those currently homelessness,
but also to prevent Sarasota County households from losing their homes.
“Our approach is to honor what is local and working,
identify best practices in other communities, and engage our community,” said
Richard Martin, Executive Director at Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness.
·
Greater communication between stakeholders using
mandatory HMIS (a client/service database), social media and community forums
·
Enhance funding opportunities to sustain and
enhance staff and resource capacity through joint applications and proposals
·
Create a Universal Intake System that uses community
volunteers to assist with intake and needs assessment. According to Martin, this model would
ensure that each person assessed would be referred to other agencies depending
on needs, and would leave with appointments, transportation arrangements and an
advocate to support the efforts necessary to obtain housing again
·
Wrap-around case management services
·
Focus on ending local veteran homelessness in
five (5) years, a goal set by the federal strategic plan to end homelessness:
Opening Doors
·
Focus on creating a better system of access to
benefits and a job creation effort
~ ~ ~
The Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness is a 501(c)(3),
the HUD-designated Lead Agency of the Sarasota-Manatee Continuum of Care and as
the Florida-designated homeless coalition for Sarasota County. Its mission is to prevent and end
homelessness in Sarasota and Manatee Counties in Florida.
Photos credited to © Karen Arango.
It will be interesting to see the effects of this plan in the future. I'm especially excited to see what comes from the initiative to end local veteran homelessness. This is an important issue and I'm glad it's being urgently addressed.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love any effort or initiative to end homelessness. My journey and encounters with homeless individuals has grown ever since I started attending school in downtown Atlanta. The initiatives I have seen in Atlanta have made me look at a bigger picture. And with that said I love reading about the different ideas on ending homelessness in various parts of the south. I am really interested in learning more about the plan which focuses on community volunteers because that is what I would be considered and as a volunteer I would like to be seen as making a difference even if it is only a slight one. Another plan which I am excited to read more about once it is in full effect is the plan to focus on ending local veterans homelessness because all veterans deserve more than a life on the streets despite how people feel about certain wars we have had, they still served our country.
ReplyDeleteIt is great that this not only an effort to house the homeless but as well as focusing on making sure that reaching that point is not temporary and they keep them homes they obtain which is a common issue.
ReplyDeleteUsing best practices and engaging the community is key!
ReplyDelete