Regional Task Force to End Homelessness

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WELCOME
2014 SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON
ENDING HOMELESSNESS
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SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS REGIONAL TASK FORCE TO END
HOMELESSNESS

• 9 Years of Progress Towards Ending Homelessness
• March 2014
• Presented by Andrew Friedman, Virginia Beach
  Department of Housing Neighborhood Preservation

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WHEN WHY DID THE TASK FORCE START?

• In 2005, Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim committed to
  ending homelessness in Norfolk, and invited the
  other Southside localities to join with Norfolk.
• Each locality appointed a representative, and the
  task force was created in the Spring of 2005.

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WHO IS THE REGIONAL TASK FORCE?
Six Localities Working Together for Nine Years

• Coordinator Administrative Agent
• The Planning Council
• Participating Jurisdictions
• Chesapeake
• Isle of Wight County
• Norfolk
• Portsmouth
• Suffolk
• Virginia Beach

• The Task Force enjoys participation by and
  support from many local, regional and state
  organizations that join together in various
  combinations to work on our shared goal of ending
  homelessness.
• They include local housing authorities, local
  human service departments, state agencies,
  nonprofits, the United Way of South Hampton
  Roads, the Hampton Roads Community Foundation and
  many others.

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REGIONAL TASK FORCE GOALS

• To end homelessness in our region by
• Enhancing services through cost-sharing
• Applying the highest level of expertise and
  experience to the issues
• Cooperating regionally when we all can win!

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REGIONAL HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIES

• Developing regionally-supported housing
  opportunities
• Developing resources
• Promoting Best Practices
• Coordinating Efforts
• Raising Awareness

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WHAT HAS REGIONAL COOPERATION GOTTEN US?

• 6 out of 6 efficiency apartment projects proposed
  and approved!
• Virginia Supportive Housing -- critical task
  force partner!

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WHAT HAS REGIONAL COOPERATION GOTTEN US?

• 400 units of approved affordable housing
• 320 units of permanent supportive housing
• 80 units of efficiency apartments
• At least 40 million dollars of investment from
  public, private and nonprofit sources
• 6 difficult-to-develop sites have or will become
  quality affordable apartment sites

Four regional Public Housing Authorities have
been critical partners in making the efficiency
apartment projects possible!
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GOSNOLD APARTMENTS (NORFOLK)
With the adaptive reuse of the RC Cola bottling
warehouse, Gosnold Apartments opened in 2006
BEFORE
AFTER
After

• 1st permanent supportive housing development for
  homeless adults in the region
• 1st regionally-supported studio apartments for
  homeless single adults in the nation

Before
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CLOVERLEAF APARTMENTS (VIRGINIA BEACH)

• 2nd regional SRO opened in 2008
• 1st SRO to be certified by EarthCraft of Virginia
  for energy and resource efficiency

AFTER
BEFORE
Adaptive reuse of College Park Skating Rink
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SOUTH BAY APARTMENTS (PORTSMOUTH)

• 3rd regional SRO opened in 2010
• Development was built on land donated by the
  Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority

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HERONS LANDING APARTMENTS (CHESAPEAKE)
4th regional SRO opened in 2013
Before
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WHAT HAS REGIONAL COOPERATION GOTTEN US?

• Crescent Square Apartments (Virginia Beach)
• 80-unit efficiency apartment complex to be
  developed by Virginia Supportive Housing
• 40 housing units for persons experiencing
  homelessness 40 for low-income persons
• Construction to begin summer 2014

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WHAT HAS REGIONAL COOPERATION GOTTEN US?
2010 conference at Virginia Wesleyan College

• Five Regional Conferences to End Homelessness
• The Planning Council -- critical task force
  partner

2012 conference at Old Dominion University
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WHAT HAS REGIONAL COOPERATION GOTTEN US?

• Millions of dollars in donations toward regional
  projects from the Hampton Roads Community
  Foundation -- critical regional supporter!

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WHAT HAS REGIONAL COOPERATION GOTTEN US?

• Created the opportunity for regional cooperation
  to obtain the Support Services for Veteran
  Families (SSVF) grant -- over 800,000 in new
  funds to help veterans in the region.

Virginia Beach Community Development Corporation
(VBCDC) and ForKids partnered to obtain the SSVF
grant!
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COORDINATING EFFORTS

• Coordinated Point in Time Counts
• Regional Needs Assessment 2010
• Hired Regional Coordinator
• Merged Continuum of Care Chesapeake, Norfolk,
  Western Tidewater
• Regional 1,000 HOMES Campaign
• Regional Reports
• Inter-jurisdictional Agreement for Transfer of
  Benefits

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DEVELOPING RESOURCES

• FROM
• 6 local governments
• Local foundations
• Dragas Family Foundation
• Businesses
• Faith community
• Individual citizens
• Merged Continuum of Care process
• A Sleep in the Park fundraiser

• FOR
• Four regional SROs
• Continuum of Care Projects
• South Hampton Roads 2010 Housing Needs Assessment
• Regional Coordinator for the Task Force

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VISION FOR THE FUTURE

• Additional Projects Underway
• Church Street SRO Efficiency Apartments!
• Regional Employment Program
• Professional Development Curriculum
• Regional Central Intake
• HMIS Merger

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THE HEALING PLACE
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THE HEALING PLACE

• Residential substance abuse recovery program for
  homeless men and women
• Will significantly reduce mental health, law
  enforcement and health care costs previously
  spent to treat this population

• Progress Made
• Installation of Board of Directors
• Hired Executive Director
• Secured 501c3 designation
• thehealingplacehr.org

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thehealingplacehr.org