WELCOME

2014 SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENDING HOMELESSNESS

9 Years of Progress Towards Ending Homelessness

March 2014

Presented by Andrew Friedman, Virginia Beach Department of Housing & Neighborhood Preservation

SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS REGIONAL TASK FORCE TO END HOMELESSNESS

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.

WHEN & WHY DID THE TASK FORCE START?

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.

WHO IS THE REGIONAL TASK FORCE?

Six Localities Working Together for Nine Years

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!

REGIONAL TASK FORCE GOALS

• Developing regionally-supported housing opportunities

• Developing resources

• Promoting Best Practices

• Coordinating Efforts

• Raising Awareness

REGIONAL HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIES

• 6 out of 6 efficiency apartment projects proposed and approved!

• Virginia Supportive Housing -- critical task force partner!

WHAT HAS REGIONAL COOPERATION GOTTEN US?

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!

• 1st permanent supportive housing development for homeless adults in the region

• 1st regionally-supported studio apartments for homeless single adults in the nation

With the adaptive reuse of the RC Cola bottling warehouse, Gosnold Apartments opened in 2006

GOSNOLD APARTMENTS (NORFOLK)

• 2nd regional SRO opened in 2008

• 1st SRO to be certified by EarthCraft of Virginia for energy and resource efficiency

CLOVERLEAF APARTMENTS (VIRGINIA BEACH)

Adaptive reuse of College Park Skating Rink

• 3rd regional SRO opened in 2010

• Development was built on land donated by the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority

SOUTH BAY APARTMENTS (PORTSMOUTH)

Before

HERON’S LANDING APARTMENTS (CHESAPEAKE)

4th regional SRO opened in 2013

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

WHAT HAS REGIONAL COOPERATION GOTTEN US?

Five Regional Conferences to End Homelessness

•The Planning Council -- critical task force partner

WHAT HAS REGIONAL COOPERATION GOTTEN US?

2010 conference at Virginia Wesleyan College

2012 conference at Old Dominion University

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

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.

WHAT HAS REGIONAL COOPERATION GOTTEN US?

Virginia Beach Community Development Corporation (VBCDC)

and ForKids partnered to obtain the SSVF grant!

• 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

COORDINATING EFFORTS

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

VISION FOR THE FUTURE

Additional Projects Underway

•Church Street SRO & Efficiency Apartments!

•Regional Employment Program

•Professional Development Curriculum

•Regional Central Intake

•HMIS Merger

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

THE HEALING PLACE

Progress Made

•Installation of Board of Directors

•Hired Executive Director

•Secured 501c3 designation

•thehealingplacehr.org

thehealingplacehr.org