Task force finalizes homelessness recommendations
Sep. 24—Waynesville's Task Force on Homelessness on Thursday finalized a series of recommendations for how town officials should work to reduce homelessness and its impacts on residents and businesses in coming years.
The task force recommendations and action plan follow more than a year of work — what one member described as "a learning experience with periods of joy and hair pulling."
While not every member was present, the task force had a quorum and its recommendations will now go before the town's Board of Aldermen for consideration. They are tentatively slated to be on the Oct. 12 agenda.
Amy Murphy-Nugen, the task force chair and facilitator and a professor of social work at Western Carolina University, described the recommended framework as a systematic response to homelessness in the town.
"When we started this discussion, we wanted to strengthen existing services, address the gaps found in a housing needs assessment, and address concerns of neighbors and businesses impacted by homelessness," Murphy-Nugen said. "That's what we have attempted to do."
The task force voted to recommend the town of Waynesville hire a full-time director to work on homelessness issues for the town and to work in collaboration with a wide range other nonprofits, service providers and partners.
A draft action plan initially proposed three full-time employees, including the director and two outreach workers.
Community surveys found 70% to 80% of people wanting to see services strengthened and expanded for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of it, Murphy-Nugen said, and 20% to 30% not in favor of any additional services or town involvement.
While task force members voted to recommend the town move forward with one director instead of the three employees, they also voted to recommend the town work to strengthen and expand a variety of services and supports to both prevent homelessness and help people experiencing it.
That includes working to improve service coordination and outreach, better responding to community complaints associated with homelessness, tracking outcomes and regularly reporting on progress, as well as expanding education and access to mental health, medical and dental services, workforce training, peer support, transportation and other support services.
Another recommendation: Strengthening efforts to address the town's affordable housing shortage, increasing the number of affordable units that are available and expanding partnerships with landlords for housing programs.
Right now, local service providers have rapid rehousing funding, but no available housing units. That could jeopardize funding in future years, if funding is not used. It's a situation likely to be compounded by people who have been left homeless by flooding in August.
Task force members also voted to recommend Waynesville move forward with a series of action items to improve mental health services. Haywood County Sheriff Greg Christopher described the items as great first steps, saying the jail is, unfortunately, the county's largest mental health facility.
"I would just like to say this piece is as important as anything we have talked about, period," Christopher said of the mental health action items being put forward.
Recommended action items put forward by the task force include:
* Mental health first aid training for the community, to help people recognize risk factors and warning signs of mental health issues
* Hosting a panel of mental health service providers to educate people about services and how to access them
* Participatory programs to empower people who are homeless
* Exploring intership opportunities for students to help expand capacity for mental health referrals and services
* Piloting a free clinic staffed by experienced clinicians interested in providing pro bono services
* Implementing a community response team to improve outcomes for people who need mental health or substance abuse interventions
Waynesville Police Lt. Tyler Trantham said the town needs to have someone leading the charge on homelessness. "I feel like if we do not do something, then in two years we will have the numbers and statistics to support a low barrier shelter," Trantham said.
The task force previously voted unanimously to not recommend a low barrier shelter or any additional shelter capacity — something that had been a point of contention in the community.
"If we do nothing, we will suffer and be in the same position, if not worse, in months and years down the road," Trantham said.
