KNOXVILLE-KNOX COUNTY, TENNESSEE

Development and Implementation of a

Jurisdictional Homelessness Plan

Overview

BackgroundPlan Development

Plan StrategiesKey Successes

Critical ChallengesMoving Forward

Background

Knoxville-Knox County Homeless Coalition formed in mid 1980’s

Coalition, with support from City and County Community Development has coordinated HUD’s Continuum of Care process.

As USICH began advocating for jurisdictional homelessness plans, Coalition asked City and County Mayors to look into creating a local TYP.

2004 – Task force appointed by City and County Mayors to develop a TYP.

Plan Development

Task force included representatives from City and County government, law enforcement, emergency services, HUD, Homeless service and shelter providers, business community, a downtown resident, philanthropic community.

Task Force was charged to Review extent of homelessness and available services Solicit input from community stakeholders Define problems specific to chronic homelessness Review national best practices Identify strategies and models that will work locally Produce a plan to end chronic homelessness with action

steps and timelines

Plan Development

Task force divided into subject area working groups and examined the problems, best practices, and brought in other stakeholders to participate.

Task force established guiding principles for plan development Focus on chronic homelessness Identify leadership and accountability to assure plan

implementation Focus on coordination of efforts Focus on permanent housing Look at the issue as a community-wide problem Focus on measurable outcomes that end homelessness

Leadership and accountability Plan called for accountability that went directly to the city

and county mayors. The TYP office would not be assigned to an existing office as an added task that would ultimately get lost in the bureaucratic shuffle.

Knoxville-Knox County Ten Year Plan

Key strategies (adopted in 2005) ‘Housing First’ Stop institutional discharging to the streets Increase coordination and effectiveness Increase access to economic opportunities Implement HMIS Shift from emergency response focus to permanent

solutions Strengthen partnerships with faith-based organizations Increase community ownership Prevent homelessness

Key Successes

Established TYP office accountable to Mayors Project Homeless Connect Vastly improved HMIS implementation Several hundred permanent supportive housing

placements using existing housing resources Opened 57-unit Minvilla Manor, PSH in historic

building, housing first for formerly chronically homeless

Began development of Flenniken Housing, 48-unit PSH, housing first for formerly chronically homeless, opening late 2011.

Key Successes

Implemented homelessness prevention program in public housing apartments for disabled and elderly, providing case management for those identified as at-risk for eviction.

Implemented Circles of Support, a faith-based mentoring program for formerly homeless individuals now living in PSH.

Raised over $1.5 million in private funds to support start-up initiatives

Critical Challenges

Attempted start-up of employment training/placement program specifically for current and formerly chronically homeless just as economy went off a cliff

Fiscal complexity of developing new PSH units Access to federal supportive services resources Weak/nonexistent state ICH Difficulty shifting from private start-up financing of

programming to ongoing public financial support Sustaining political will in the face of NIMBY and

transition in elected offices Public communications to build and maintain

public support

Moving Forward

Suspended new housing developmentNew public input processContinue smaller TYP office to maintain

coordination effortsSeek SAMHSA and other supportive services

dollarsPublish PSH Cost-Benefit studyMove forward with new “systems design”

processSeek support from next City administration

Contact Info

Michael DunthornProject ManagerKnoxville-Knox County Ten Year Plan Office400 Main Street, Rm. 512Knoxville, TN 37902

(865) 215-3103mdunthorn@cityofknoxville.org