Vision to End Homelessness Summit Summary Report

On December 12, 2003, more than 125 community members gathered at the Vision to End Homelessness Summit to consider national and local issues, envision creative solutions and garner commitments to work together over the next year on a comprehensive plan to end homelessness in Kent County. Here are the results of the day:

Summit Results

• Vision to End Homelessness Co-Chairs, David Morren, Chair of the Kent County Board of Commissioners and City of Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell joined federal and state government officials to state their commitments to support the community-wide plan to end homelessness in ten years.
• Summit attendees represented: 6 legislators, 6 regional planning bodies, 20 Federal/State/County/City govt. entities, 50 service providers/consumers, 14 nonprofits, 9 faith-based groups, 6 educational institutions, 4 foundations and 4 corporations
• More than 400 comments were recorded during the seven concurrent focus group sessions
• 85 participants committed to continue working on the plan to end homelessness over the coming year.
• Several local foundations expressed interest in funding the planning process

Next Steps

Based on the positive responses from Summit attendees, the Housing Continuum of Care Executive Committee and Vision to End Homelessness Workgroup have completed a review of similar planning processes conducted in other cities. Beginning in June, 2004, the planning process will begin, using the following structure:

1. Community education and input
2. Data gathering to develop an information base
3. Development of strategies and recommendations

• Lead Organization: Grand Rapids Area Housing Continuum of Care: Membership and Staff
• Advisory Committee: Vision to End Homelessness Task Force: Vision Co-Chairs, HCOC Leadership, Shelter/Service Providers, Mainstream Providers
• Focus Groups, Interviews: Broad community input gathered from HCOC members/subcommittees, mainstream resource providers, consumers, government and community-based representatives
• Data Gathering/Analysis: Analysis of existing data, new data and HMIS input by consultants, GVSU
• Project Teams: Community representatives working together on key issues identified at the Summit

We look forward to your participation in this important community planning process.

Focus Group Workshop Results

The following issue areas were identified by Summit participants in order of priority. This is a summary of the hundreds of pertinent ideas that were expressed at the Summit. Each idea will be more fully explored in the coming months.

• A range of affordable housing options is needed - single-room occupancy, shared housing, scattered-site, land trusts
• Up to 1,000 affordable housing units or more may be necessary to fill affordable housing gaps
• Create more subsidized housing, including Section 8 vouchers, lease-purchase options and govt. assisted rehabs
• Develop a centralized, single point of entry program with staff to advocate, refer and find affordable housing
• Landlords need rewards/incentives to provide decent, affordable rental housing, and held accountable for bad housing
• Eviction prevention programs and open dialogue between landlords/tenants will reduce barriers to staying housed

• Life skills training, mentoring and vocational education is needed to keep people employed
• Programs need to directly link housing with work
• Explore employer-subsidized rental housing
• Employers need incentives to hire those with criminal backgrounds/homeless and support for "problem" employees
• More jobs with a living wage!

• Increase access to supportive services (matched to people's needs) and link with subsidized permanent housing
• Gap services are needed during wait for mainstream resources, need shorter wait times, stop service gaps to avert crisis
• Mental health, case management services should be delivered on-site to all who need it
• Supportive services should be phased out of transitional housing and into permanent housing options
• Reduce duplication of services, increase transportation, child care services

• HMIS data and a review of federal and local policies is needed to better understand creative solutions
• Local/State codes/policies should provide incentives to support affordable housing, higher density zoning
• Challenge the "renewal" process for allocating federal funds to existing programs, divert to housing subsidies

• Coordinated discharge planning should link those exiting mental health, foster care, prison and other systems with available housing, family support and service provision.

• Job/life/social/financial skills training is critical, starting at a young age
• Community education about homelessness will raise awareness, dispel myths, garner support to end homelessness

• Shorter waiting times for FIA, SSI - gap subsidies needed during the wait
• "Expeditor" needed to assist homeless, near homeless in application process for SSI, other mainstream assistance
• Increases to SSI, TANF subsidies are needed

• More housing with supportive services for single men is needed
• Housing first model should be expanded to help families remain in homes, out of shelter
• "Low-demand" shelters needed to allow people into shelter without restrictions

• Flexible, short-term emergency fund needed for rent, utilities, auto repair, etc.
• Resources already in system should be shifted towards prevention
• Corporate, private resources should be approached to fund new model