Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-09-05 Special Meeting NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 36 SEPTEMBER 5, 2024 JOINT SPECIAL MEETING PAGE 327 ASSEMBLY The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners met for a Joint Special Meeting with the Wilmington City Council on Thursday, September 5, 2024, at 1:33 p.m. at the New Hanover County Government Center, 230 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, North Carolina. Members present: Chair Bill Rivenbark; Vice-Chair LeAnn Pierce; Commissioner Jonathan Barfield, Jr.; Commissioner Dane Scalise; and Commissioner Rob Zapple. Staff present: County Manager Chris Coudriet; Clerk to the Board Kymberleigh G. Crowell; and County Attorney K. Jordan Smith. City of Wilmington Council present (via roll call vote): Mayor Bill Saffo; Councilmembers Salette Andrews; David Joyner; Charlie Rivenbark; and Luke Waddell. Attending virtually: Councilmember Kevin Spears. Mayor Pro- Tem Clifford Barnett, Sr. arrived at 1:44 p.m. City of Wilmington staff present: City Manager Tony Caudle; City Attorney Meredith Everhart; and City Clerk Penny Spicer-Sidbury. Chair Rivenbark and Mayor Saffo called their respective Boards to order reporting that the purpose of the meeting is to discuss the unhoused population. County Manager Coudriet thanked the elected officials for allowing staff to present this latest information. The process the teams have developed has worked well, not just for this project but also for the opioid plan and the mental health and substance use disorder strategy. By involving both content experts and those directly affected, strong plans and recommendations have been created for the elected bodies to consider. City Manager Caudle stated that at the last meeting, staff left with direction to develop an inventory of existing homeless services, identify current provider challenges and opportunities, obtain firsthand knowledge from individuals experiencing homelessness, and identify opportunities to close gaps in services. The staff has worked through these tasks, and he agrees that the model process followed was very efficient. PRESENTATION Chief Strategy Officer Jennifer Rigby presented the following information:  Unsheltered homelessness strategy:  Resolution:  Engage with individuals experiencing homelessness, service providers, and community partners to identify supports that will achieve the following outcomes:  Develop an inventory of existing homeless services, current provider challenges, and potential opportunities  Obtain first-hand knowledge from individuals experiencing homelessness  Identify opportunities to close gaps in services for individuals experiencing homelessness  Opportunities for success:  Grow the capacity of the Continuum of Care and support service providers  Increase the capacity of facilities to meet the needs of the unsheltered population  Supportive regulations, Incentives for developers, property management, and housing assistance  Housing ecosystem:  Strategy process:  Key partners: Cape Fear Council of Governments – Continuum of Care, New Hanover Community Endowment, Novant, and Trillium NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 36 SEPTEMBER 5, 2024 JOINT SPECIAL MEETING PAGE 328  Providers: BRIDGES of Wilmington, Cape Fear HealthNet, Inc., Coastal Disability Advocates, Coastal Horizons, Domestic Violence Shelter and Services, Inc., Eden Village of Wilmington, First Fruit Ministries, Getting Home Street Outreach, Good Shepherd Center, Help Hub at the Harrelson Center, Leading Into New Communities, Inc. (LINC), Living Hope Day Center, N.C. Harm Reduction Coalition, Rescue Mission of Cape Fear, St. Jude's MCC, The Healing Place of New Hanover County (THPNC), United Way, Vigilant Hope, WDI/Block by Block, Wilmington Housing Authority Strategy Manager Eliza Baldwin continued the presentation as follows:  Definitions per Housing and Urban Development (HUD):  Unsheltered Homeless: An individual or family with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, including a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport, or camping ground. (Defined at 24 CFR 578.3 of the Homeless Definition Final Rule)  Coordinated Entry: Process developed to ensure that all people experiencing a housing crisis have fair and equal access and are quickly identified, assessed for, referred, and connected to housing and assistance based on their strengths, needs, and acuity  Homeless Management Information System (HMIS): HMIS is a local information technology system used to collect client-level data and data on the provision of housing and services to individuals and families at risk of and experiencing homelessness. It is used to coordinate care, manage operations, and better serve clients. HUD expects every community to commit to implementing a shared HMIS database.  Rapid Rehousing (RRH): Customizable to the household’s needs, including housing search, rental assistance, move-in assistance, and housing-focused case management. Usually time-limited for up to 24 months.  Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH): Permanent supportive housing is an intervention that combines affordable housing assistance with voluntary support services to address the needs of chronically homeless people. The services are designed to build independent living and tenancy skills and connect people with community-based health care, treatment, and employment services. Tenants have an annual lease and pay no more than 30% of their income for rent and utilities combined, sliding to $0 for those who enter without income.  What are the gaps based on available units?  What are the gaps based on vulnerability?  Voice of the consumer, lived experience: NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 36 SEPTEMBER 5, 2024 JOINT SPECIAL MEETING PAGE 329 City of Wilmington Director of Housing and Neighborhood Services Rachel Schuler presented the following information:  Gaps in service:  Moderate needs: food pantries and meals, street outreach, and mobile showers  Significant needs: case management, overnight shelters, and financial assistance  Critical needs: permanent supportive housing (PSH) units, rapid rehousing, day centers, coordinated entry/HMIS  Developing a path forward:  Low barrier options for unsheltered population, short term/intake, and triage  Supply and capacity for supportive housing, long-term/sustainable well-being  Low barrier options for unsheltered population:  Supply and capacity for supportive housing: Ms. Rigby concluded the presentation as follows:  Opportunities for success:  Grow the capacity of the Continuum of Care and support service providers:  Improve Council of Governments data systems and coordinated access (hotline, case management, etc.)  Enhance adequate capacity for existing service providers  Increase the capacity of facilities to meet the needs of the unsheltered population  Work with partners to increase low-barrier day shelters and spaces that meet the basic needs of unsheltered individuals (e.g., personal hygiene, safety, etc.).  Create a mental health-focused treatment and day center with supportive housing options:  Partner with Trillium on evidence-based model for treatment  Identify partners to provide supportive housing  Supportive regulations, incentives for developers, property management, and housing assistance:  Property management incentives to offset risks associated with high need individuals  Support housing assistance programs  Update land use regulations to increase access to housing units During the question and answer portion of the meeting, Ms. Schuler responded to questions confirming that the Point-in-time (PIT) is an annual census of the unsheltered completed one night in January. Ms. Rigby stated that growing the Continuum of Care’s capacity and general service provider capacity are the two top opportunities that will help the community. Staff has started the preliminary research to develop early figures and timelines on growing capacity. The figures will not be released until they are solid confirmed numbers. She noted that conversations are also occurring with Trillium on the mental health focused treatment and with law enforcement representatives from the Sheriff’s office and City Police. Ms. Schuler reported on the need for better coordination of transportation and services, confirming that access to transportation is a critical issue. Ms. Baldwin noted that a significant challenge is resolving barriers for individuals to obtain government identification to obtain services. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 36 SEPTEMBER 5, 2024 JOINT SPECIAL MEETING PAGE 330 General discussion ensued about the report. County Manager Coudriet and Ms. Rigby acknowledged the need to balance short-term relief with long-term strategic initiatives. They reported that effective strategies are being implemented, including enhanced services like rapid rehousing and rental assistance, which are helping many individuals avoid homelessness. While good interventions are in place, it is recognized that some individuals will still slip through the safety net and end up unsheltered. The objective is to reduce the overall count of unsheltered individuals as much as possible while continuing strong intervention efforts. As to transportation services, County Manager Coudriet and Ms. Schuler commented on WAVE services and stated that there are very few places in the County that WAVE does not go, and there are 1000s of virtual stops and a dedicated route system that serves much of the concentrated area where the services can be accessed. As to managing low-barrier shelters, particularly regarding individuals with substance use issues and criminal histories, Ms. Schuler stated that different models could be applied, such as creating separate facilities for individuals with diverse needs. She also noted that regional approaches could be beneficial but need more exploration and that expanding shelter and permanent supportive housing is critical. She pointed out that other counties are also facing similar challenges and that the County needs immediate solutions to meet the current demand. Ms. Rigby commented on the land use regulations that there are some opportunities to increase the ability to allow for more group homes, homes with assisted care, etc. While some barriers are in place, those can be assessed to determine if they can be loosened. Further discussion ensued about establishing facilities, which will require political will from both elected bodies. Ms. Schuler commented that the scale of the needed effort has not been reached yet and is the challenge in terms of growing the capacity. Ms. Rigby added that the key topic heard during the discussions was the need for a coordinated entry system that works for the community, which supports the need to grow the capacity of the Continuum of Care. GENERAL DISCUSSION Discussion ensued on the next steps to be taken by staff. Both elected bodies agreed on the work done to date and confirmed that staff is on the right track. As to the need for the cost estimates to move forward, Ms. Rigby reiterated that the staff are refining the cost estimates to ensure accurate numbers before releasing them to the public. County Manager Coudriet expressed his support for the need of careful budgeting and reported on staff’s site visit to a long-term residential facility to help clarify the potential costs for New Hanover County. As to a future meeting, County Manager Coudriet noted that he cannot advise at this point a tentative date, but 90 days is achievable with a proposal and associated costs. ADJOURNMENT Hearing no further discussion, Chair Rivenbark and Mayor Saffo adjourned the meeting at 3:25 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Kymberleigh G. Crowell Clerk to the Board Please note that the above minutes are not a verbatim record of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners meeting. The entire proceedings are available online at www.nhcgov.com.