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| "We
are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future." |
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George Bernard Shaw |
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Help Hope Home was developed
by the Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition’s (SNRPC)
and its Committee on Homelessness (CoH).
The Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition
Southern Nevada continues to be one of the nation’s fastest
growing regions. The unprecedented growth creates challenges
in maintaining basic quality of life elements such as education,
health care, the natural environment, public safety, recreation
and culture as well as transportation. Recognizing that these issues
transcend governmental jurisdictional boundaries, Clark County,
the cities of Boulder City, Henderson, Las Vegas, North Las
Vegas and the Clark County School District have entered into
an interlocal agreement to establish the
Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition (SNRPC). The
Coalition board is made up of ten members
– two elected officials appointed by the governing body
of each entity (except for Boulder City and the Clark County School District which appoint
only one.)
SNRPC’s Committee on Homelessness
Understanding the need to comprehensively address homelessness,
the SNRPC convened its first committee to address a social problem.
Established in 2004, the Committee on Homelessness (CoH) was
tasked with drafting and actualizing a regional plan. The membership
of the CoH is appointed by the SNRPC and comprised of designees
form all jurisdictions, the Nevada Homeless Alliance, Las Vegas
Metropolitan Police Department, Southern Nevada Adult Mental
Health, US Veteran Affairs and local businesses.
The 10 Point Plan
Over 150 diverse stakeholders participated in focus groups over
a ten month period to provide input on service gaps in services
to the homeless and those at-risk of homelessness. Stake holders
included the homeless, homeless service providers as well as representatives
from the business community and neighborhood organizations.
This “gaps analysis” identified over 105 gaps in
service which were grouped under 10 priority areas. In June
of 2005, the Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition and
its Committee on Homelessness approved its 10 Point Plan which
now anchors the Help Hope Home initiative.
Furthermore, The City of Las Vegas crafted their Ten
Year Plan to End Homelessness specifically carving out
their own goals as they relate to the 10 Point Plan.
A National Model
Through the work of the CoH and its community stakeholders,
it became clear that the short-term solution to homelessness
in Southern Nevada lies in adequate temporary shelter beds and
the Inclement Weather Program was immediately established.
The long-term solution is adequate affordable housing and employment
for all residents. The national model for this, embraced by
the federal
Interagency Task Force on Homelessness and the National
Alliance to End Homelessness, is called Housing First. The
premise is simple: The more quickly a person or family moves
into housing, the sooner they can stabilize their life and address
other issues. Housing assistance is the first priority, followed
by case-management, mental-health and substance-abuse counseling,
then employment and other services that help create stability and
self-sufficiency. These efforts have resulted in extensive coverage
from local and national media including a
feature in The New Yorker by Malcolm Gladwell.
United Way of Southern Nevada
The United Way of Southern Nevada has stepped up to the plate
to provide fiscal leadership and expertise for our community's
plan to address homelessness by stewarding over the Southern
Nevada Homeless Trust Fund.
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