Members of the Heartland Continuum of Care Street Outreach Task Group work regularly with individuals living in encampments, such as the one at 5th and North Grand. Their goal is to build relationships, connect people to services, and refer them to available resources. Outreach staff assist individuals in getting on the Coordinated Entry list, which is essential for accessing supportive housing opportunities. They also provide ongoing support until housing becomes available. While not always possible, the hope is to be able to deliver resources to where people are located and make the resources as accessible as possible.

As described in the City’s press conference on the action taken this week at Fifth and North Grand, the Heartland Continuum of Care Street Outreach Task Group did not receive prior notice. Upon learning, Heartland HOUSED staff connected with HCoC Street Outreach partners and worked to connect with individuals they had previously been working with. 

We encourage all partners involved in Street Outreach efforts to do so in a manner consistent with the Heartland Continuum of Care’s Street Outreach Community Standards. These standards seek to guide outreach efforts utilizing a trauma-informed, housing focused approach and best practices with the intent of connecting individuals with services and housing resources.

Supportive housing is the solution to homelessness and while progress has been made, our community has much work to do to continue to help people end their experiences of homelessness more quickly. Currently, there is a gap of over $2,000,000 in community resources needed to provide housing for the 240 households on the HCoC Coordinated Entry list. Our community’s strategic plan emphasizes the need to increase the number of supportive housing opportunities, enabling individuals to receive the necessary support and end their homelessness more quickly than current wait times allow.

An additional gap that our community needs to address is creating more devoted Street Outreach staff capacity in organizations in our community. Heartland HOUSED hopes to be able to create a Street Outreach Coordinator position by the end of the year to continue to support the growth in the Heartland Continuum of Care Street Outreach Task Group. Several organizations are doing great outreach work by allowing staff to devote some of their time to outreach efforts, supporting their efforts to make these full time positions will have an important impact on the availability and consistency of outreach efforts. 

When we focus on solutions, maximizing the impact of existing community funds, and making intentional investments in areas where there are gaps we can create a community response to homelessness that meets people right where they are and walks with them toward the futures they hope for. When we do this, we work together toward a healthier and more just community.