Homeless Task Force Meeting #19 (08/05)

The need for a Community Outreach Worker is identified as one of the top priorities needed to assist in making regular contact and with and connecting unhoused people to resources to end their homelessness. The city has communicated the importance and priority to Maine State Housing Authority (MSHA) that will open a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) starting August 16, 2024 and closing on September 30, 2024. Funding under the Long-Term Solutions to Address Homelessness was allocated to MSHA in the last legislative session. The York County Shelter Program will be the Applicant as they have been working on this strategy and recently was awarded funds from the John T. Gorham Foundation to a vehicle and equipment for the position. This Community match will make for a very competitive Application as will the Region’s and City’s prior communications with MSHA for this position. The City and Regional Providers will write letters of support for the Application as a regional effort focused in Sanford.

A second NOFA was issued by MSHA for the 2024-2025 Warming Center Funding that opened July 19 through August 23, 2024. Again, the York County Shelter Program will be the applicant and operator of the Center. Consensus was to support the Application for the establishment of a Warming Center at the Alfred Campus to best serve in sharing of staff, full food services, full facilities, and coordinated case management once upon Campus. Transportation to the Facility will be accommodated by the Police, future Outreach Worker, and York County Transportation on an as needed and scheduled basis. No appropriate location or facility was identified within Sanford to again host a Warming Center.

Further discussion centered on standing up the Memorial Gym for extreme cold weather events as in the past with more pre-planning and especially around staffing during operations.

The 19 Strategies to Address Encampments was again reviewed. Nichele Carver Senior Regional Advisor for the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) will be meeting with the Task Force at the Sanford Housing Authority on August 12, 2024. The USICH notes that Sanford’s adoption and implementation using a wider regional approach is unique and the Agency seeks to better understand our work. The Task Force also seeks continued guidance on Phase 3 Building Long-Term Stability as it relates to the Prevention of Homelessness. We seek any further guidance and best practices that may be offered to assist our address.

Also on August 12, 2024 City Representatives will meet with the Maine Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Maine Access Points around the current Harm Reduction Program or Syringe Exchange Program. The scope of the meeting is to identify a common solution for the CDC’s desire to address Harm Reduction associated with blood born pathogens stemming from injections by providing clean syringes and supplies and the City’s concerns around the Increased Harm and exposure associated with improperly disposed/discarded syringes to the general public. If a common solution can be identified, the City Staff will seek for legislative address and to advocate for a solution that meets harm reduction in both areas. Otherwise, City Staff will advocate for the program to return to a 1:1 syringe exchange program as originally authorized.

Review of current Census indicated that the City and Sanford Housing Authority are tracking 44 People currently known to be chronically unhoused. It was noted that there has been an influx of new people since the closure of the encampment in Biddeford as well as people arriving seeking to be near a Warming Center, if or when established. A review of the Census indicated that each of the individuals have been and continue to be offered services nearly daily. All have refused. It was further identified that the overwhelming majority of these 44 people are either experiencing Substance Use Disorder (SUD) or unaddressed mental health conditions, or a combination. Recognition was granted to the varying reasons of people becoming homeless and the success of addressing these elements over time with the remaining SUD and Mental Health cases being the most difficult to address in both resources as well as acceptance of services by the individuals. This needs to be a focus at the State Advocacy level in the future as well as the general public being aware of this compounding nature and escalation.

The Task Force and Sanford Mental Health Unit, and our Regional Partners, have exhausted all means of Diversion Programming seeking to get treatment to individuals where they are at and when they are receptive. Enforcement is the next means to connect Diversion Programming for these individuals as personal responsibility and decisions to improve their situations are not being exercised. This is a difficult juncture for many people who have not been entrenched in the provision and offering of services only to be rejected by this remaining population. Public awareness is a key component to advocating for more funding and capacities for SUD and Mental Health Beds statewide to close this gap for this unhoused population.

Resource Hub/Outreach June 2024 and ongoing

A review of the 30 Housing First Units to be built by the Sanford Housing Authority off Heritage Drive as made. The Architects are working on amendments to the Site Plan to maximize the use of the two lots to be purchased. The amendments will address environmental constraints as well as zoning in relations to the placement of the building and associated access and parking. An Application is pending for this fall to Maine State Housing Authority to construct the Units. The Housing First model will provide No-Barrier Housing to those who need 24/7 case management to transition back to self-sufficiency and permanent housing. York County Community Action Corp. will provide the case management to be funded through Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

Housing Assistance and Prevention was reviewed. Maine State Housing Authority (MSHA) will make $18 million available as a Pilot Rent Relief Program. The details are starting to emerge as MSHA works to identify a single vendor that will administer the statewide award and distribution of funds The Program has been amended from a 24-month to a 12-month Program for people at or below 60% Area Medium Income and have rent within 125% of Area Market Rate. Qualified candidates would be eligible for up to $800/mo assistance. Priorities will be given to rents in arears to prevent evictions and then upon gap financing. City and YCCAC will coordinate to inform the public as the program is more fully developed and publicized by MSHA.

Legislative Actions and Advocacy was also again reviewed. Top priorities for the next Legislative Session will be;

Support for Outreach Workers such as will be applied for this year through MSHA
Full Funding for current Low and No Barrier Shelter to ensure continuation
Funding for Substance Use Disorder Beds – payment for services
Funding for Mental Health Beds – payment for services
Amendments to Attorney General’s Homeless Protocols for State

The Task Force will seek to host another Regional Homelessness Summit at the Sanford Performing Arts Center as was conducted last year. This year’s Summit will be held as immediately following the November Elections as possible to inform the incoming Legislators and to allow for legislation or at least concept drafts, placeholders, to be filed prior to the December cloture date, to be determined.

The Task for will meet next on August 19th 2024 at 10:00AM.