Deschutes County Commissioner Tammy Baney and former City of Bend Mayor Bruce Abernethy have invited local elected officials throughout Central Oregon to participate on the Steering Committee for the 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness.
The Steering Committee will meet Friday, May 8, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. – noon at Bend’s Community Center, located at 1036 NE 5th Street to discuss the effort.
Supported by the US Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), more than 350 cities and counties across the United States have created regional plans to end homelessness. Recent findings show that the chronic homeless (who comprise only a small portion of the total homeless population) consume a significant portion of community resources like health care and shelter and there may be more cost-effective solutions to this problem. The 10 Year Plan approach encourages local communities to develop a business-like, results-oriented plan to end homelessness by focusing on chronic homelessness, permanent supportive housing, and new ways of addressing the issue.
This initial meeting is to set up a Steering Committee for Central Oregon’s effort, and participants will be joined by Rick Crager, Deputy Director of Oregon Housing and Community Services and Paul Carlson, Interagency Homeless Coordinator for HUD. The Steering Committee will be comprised of local elected officials from cities and counties. Other community partners and housing service providers will be engaged in the formal development of the Plan.
According to Commissioner Baney, “We will never completely wipe out homelessness; however the 10 Year Plan provides a framework for local leaders to develop a comprehensive and strategic approach to address this problem.” Bruce Abernethy notes, “According to the One Night Homeless Count, the number of people that are homeless in Central Oregon is estimated at 2,237. Of this number, 40% are children.” Commissioner Baney stated, “The costs associated with homelessness are both social and economical; by working together we can build a system that leverages resources and provides hope to those in need.”
