Homeless Task Force Meeting #20 (08/19)

The Homeless Task Force met again on August 19, 2024 and worked in the following areas:

Community Outreach Worker/s: Maine State Housing released a Notice of Financial Availability (NOFA) on August 16, 2024 under the Long-Term Solutions to Address Homelessness as authorized by the Legislature. York County Shelter Program will be the Applicant to MSHA for the competitive funds. An Application was also made to the Cohen Foundation and the Shelter has received a Letter inviting them to apply for the $50,000 of funding for vehicle and equipment for the Outreach Worker position. Letters of Support will be requested from the partnering Agencies and the City.

Warming Center Funds: A Notice of Financial Availability (NOFA) was also posted on July 19th, deadline August 23rd, for competitive funding applications for Warming Center operations for this coming winter. The York County Shelter Program is applying for the funds to operate either in a yet determined commercial location or more plausibly within their existing facilities in Alfred. The second option will provide for meals, case management, showers and laundry. It is the case management as critical to shorten the length of time of being unhoused critical to permanent housing.

19 Strategies: The Sanford Housing Authority hosted a meeting with Nichele Carver Senior Regional Advisor for the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH). Ms. Carver was most engaged in the regional approach and cooperative work of the varying Agencies and City Staff that had compiled and implemented the 19 Strategies to address encampments and the unhoused. The Director will be providing access to resources such as Federal Continuum of Care Funds (COC) that may assist the Shelter in closing the funding gap of operations. There may also be available Federal Funds towards the Outreach Worker/s as well. The last indication was that the USICH is doing further work on prevention and will provide further guidance and assistance in this area in the near future. By all accounts, it was a very productive meeting especially in potential access for much needed Federal Assistance.

Housing First: The Site Plan development and Property purchases remain on track. Land purchase should be completed by early September as well as a proposed land swap that will better facilitate the placement of the Project Building and associated infrastructure. This will aid to access of loan funds as well as potential Brownfield related funds for infrastructure construction. The 30 proposed units would provide non-barrier managed housing options to chronically unhoused persons who would have difficulties transitioning into a permanent housing solution absent this managed transitional option.

Housing Assistance and Prevention was reviewed. Maine State Housing Authority (MSHA) will make $18 million available as a Pilot Rent Relief Program. MSHA has just released an Request for Proposals to the Community Action Corporations and others for a single point administrator for the Program statewide. The Program and implementation will be monitored so notice on who can and how to apply in the near future.

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 funding on monthly rent.

Legislative Actions and Public Education – Advocacy:

There are two major Forums being planned that will address public awareness and education of Housing and Homelessness and what can be and is being done. The first is the City’s now annual Housing Forum.

The Annual Housing Forum is being planned for September 24th, 2024 at 6:00PM in the City Council Chambers. This will provide for a hybrid and multi-cast of the Forum reaching as wide an audience as possible. The public will be invited to attend and participate. Elements under development for the Forum will be as much on education as it will be on reporting out the year’s actions. Areas under consideration are;

Market Analysis and the information recently received on existing housing stock, opportunities to meet the needs in varying housing stock, rents and trends, housing demographics, and future actions to address these areas.
Relating the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) Report and how the inability for working families to meet the high cost of housing is impacting our Region and identifying the focal points to address.
Our Schools and Student Housing Instability – numbers and trends
Has LD 2003 (statewide housing density ordinances) made headways on addressing Housings
Prevent avenues such as Rent Relief Programs, heating and utilities assistance, financial guidance
Senior Programs to aging in place and other avenues

A Second Forum, after implementing the first last year, will be the Homeless Forum to be held at the Sanford Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on November 13th, 2024 time to be determined. The York County Legislative Group will be activated again this year as town and agency administrators met to establish and set the top priorities around our unhoused populations. The goal is to hold the Forum just after the November 5th, 2024 elections when our State Representatives will then be known and to communicate these top priorities prior to the start of the next Legislative Session and before the cloture date for any newly proposed legislation, even if a concept draft. This is a very tight time frame to meet.

This year’s Forum will focus on the determined top priorities, information of what worked well, or not, over the past year, and the impacts of passed legislation from the last session. Much is anticipated to pivot on the annual needs for critical services being funded ongoing and not just one-time funding. Critical areas such as Shelter Funding, Street Outreach Workers, bed capacities for Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health, and Private Non-Medical Institution beds are all key components to addressing the chronically unhoused populations.

More information on the priorities as identified by the Legislative Working Group will be made available as developed.