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Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it. ~ Helen Keller
Central to any Continuum of Care plan or any plan to end homelessness should be supportive services and outreach. Study after study has shown that homeless persons achieve greater residential stability for longer periods of time if supportive services are offered and if a case manager is consistently involved.
Many supportive services, especially case management designed to help homeless persons obtain and remain in housing, can be funded with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Continuum of Care grant. Other needed services, such as child care and employment preparedness are funded through a variety of federal, state and local sources, including: TANF, ESGP, the Veteran’s Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Labor, private foundations and other local sources.
Outreach services, as defined by HUD, have evolved over the past several years to mean, almost exclusively, “aggressive” outreach. That is, outreach workers that go to where homeless persons congregate in encampments, under bridges, in public parks and abandoned buildings to engage those “non-service users” in needed supportive services and housing. Outreach no longer means just going to a meeting and announcing that the services of your agency are available, or engaging persons who are already receiving supportive services.
Both supportive services and outreach are very necessary parts of the Continuum of Care plan, but funding for both of them is getting more and more scarce. If we truly want to end ALL homelessness, we must have access to funding for supportive services and outreach along with funding for decent, safe and affordable housing.
Helen Keller was right on target…people can overcome many obstacles in their path. Some people just need a little help along the way.
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