HOMELESSNESS IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY

Lavonna Martin, Presenter

 

CONTRA COSTA HEALTH SERVICES HOMELESS PROGRAM RESPONSIBILITIES

 Know the population we serve. The “who, where, how, and why” of the homeless

population in Contra Costa.

Support and maintain a Continuum of Care aimed at meeting the needs of homeless

persons in our community.

 

CONTRA COSTA HEALTH SERVICES HOMELESS

PROGRAM RESPONSIBILITIES (CONT.)

 Understand the political, fiscal, and social landscape around homelessness at the

local, state, and federal levels.

 Build partnerships with other homeless, social, and human service providers;

elected officials, and law enforcement in order to end homelessness.

 

STAGGERING NUMBERS

Approx. 15,000 people experience an episode of homelessness each year in Contra Costa

According to the Homeless Count conducted in 2009, nearly 4,000 individuals in one day were identified living on the streets, shelters, transitional housing, and hospitals

 

OTHER HOMELESS FACTS:

 27% of the homeless in Contra Costa are families with children.

 34% are chronically homeless

 20% have a physical disability.

 25% have alcohol abuse issues

 26% have drug abuse issues

1/3 of the homeless population has a mental health disability

 

CONTRA COSTA’S CONTINUUM OF CARE

 Outreach and Engagement Services

 Shelter services for families, unaccompanied youth, and single adults.

Transitional housing for transition age youth, families, and those in recovery from

substance abuse.

Permanent Supportive Housing

 

Contra Costa Inter-jurisdictional Council on Homelessness (CCICH)

 Appointed by the Board of Supervisors

 Membership reflects most communities in Contra Costa County and includes law enforcement, city and county representatives from Health Services, Mental Health, Employment and Human Services, Community Services, elected officials, and homeless individuals.

 Guides the local process that brings in nearly $8M in federal HUD funds for homeless housing and services each year.

 Responsible for guiding the work of the 10 year plan in concert with the County Homeless Program.

 

TEN YEAR PLAN TO END HOMELESSNESS

CCHEALTH.ORG/SERVICES/HOMELESS

TEN YEAR PLAN PRINCIPLES

 Permanent housing is the goal.

 Access to comprehensive and integrated services is essential to achieving long-term

housing stability.

 Community-based mainstream services must be the cornerstone of meeting people’s long

term service needs.

 Access to a decent home is critical.

 Prevention of homelessness is the most human and cost-effective approach to ending

homelessness.

 

TEN YEAR PLAN PRIORITIES

1. Help homeless people (re-) gain housing as soon as possible.

2. Provide integrated, wrap-around services to facilitate long-term residential stability.

3. Help people access employment that pays a housing wage.

4. Conduct outreach to link chronically homeless people with housing, treatment, and services.

5. Prevent homelessness from occurring in the first place.

 

Working Together to End

SIGNATURE PROJECTS

Homelessness

 Concord Naval Weapons Station

 Project Homeless Connect

 SSI Enrollment Initiative

 MHSA housing for transition age youth

 

HSD HOMELESS PROGRAM SERVICES

 Outreach and Engagement Services – HOPE outreach teams, FERST program at the MSC’s

 Adult Services – West and Central County Shelters, Respite Program (opening June 2010).

 Youth Services – HY-HOPE, Calli House Youth Shelter, Appian and Bissell Transitional Living Programs, Permanent Connections

 Permanent Supportive Housing – Shelter Plus Care and SHP housing.

 

OTHER HOMELESS SERVICE PROVIDERS

 SHELTER, Inc

 Anka Behavioral Health Services

 Rubicon Programs

 Greater Richmond Interfaith Program

 Contra Costa Interfaith Housing

 Contra Costa Crisis Center

 Catholic Charities

…and more.

DIAL 211 for referral to services or go to

www.211database.org

 

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

 Join us at our next CCICH meeting on June 11, 2010 at the Concord Police Department – 1850

Galindo Street in Concord from 10am-12pm.

 Participate/volunteer at our next Project Homeless Connect event on September 16, 2010 at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds in Antioch.

Email: projecthomelessconnect@hsd.cccounty.us

 

NEED TO CONTACT US?

Website: cchealth.org/services/homeless

Email: homelessprogram@hsd.cccounty.us

Lavonna Martin, MPH, MPA Deputy Director, Homeless Program

Ph: 925-313-6140 Fax:925-313-6761

Lavonna.martin@hsd.cccounty.us