The feedback we received from the community played a crucial role in shaping the Homelessness Day Services Center. The center is designed to offer a comprehensive range of services to address needs in a holistic manner and with an ultimate goal of exiting people from homelessness.
The key services identified through community feedback, such as bathroom and shower facilities, laundry, safe storage, and meal services have been incorporated into the core offerings of the Homelessness Day Services Center. While the Shelter already provides these essential services in some capacity, our intention is to expand their availability in terms of hours and inclusivity and to provide these services in an effort to engage unhoused people in efforts to exit them from homelessness.
In addition to these basic services, the day center will offer a range of programs to enhance the support provided to individuals experiencing homelessness including:
- Peer Support Services: Creating a community that understands and supports one another.
- System Navigation: Assisting individuals in navigating systems to access the housing and services they need.
- Case Management: Providing personalized support to address individual needs and goals and to provide assistance to people who have been housed through center resources.
- Treatment - Behavioral Health/Physical/Substance Use: Offering critical assistance for mental health, physical, and substance use disorder.
- Coordinated Entry: Streamlining access to various resources and services.
- Community Court: Fostering a sense of community responsibility and accountability.
- Reunification and Diversion Services: Working proactively to prevent long term homelessness by diverting individuals from entering the system and safely reuniting them with support systems.
- Transportation: Ensuring access by eliminating transportation barriers through additional free buses during the middle of the day between the Shelter and downtown and providing bus passes at the day center and through other community providers and outreach teams.
- Tenant supportive services: Support for individuals transitioning into housing.
- Respite: Dedicated beds for individuals transitioning from the hospital or those with medical conditions to recover from their illness.
In addition, through funding from the Department of Local Affairs, we have secured 30 state housing vouchers and tenant supportive services attached to this project.
Through the expansion of services and addition of new services, the Homelessness Day Service Center will create a space to foster a positive environment for seamless collaboration and coordination among existing service providers.
We have initiated conversations with members of the faith community to explore opportunities to support these services, ensuring that the center meets individuals where they are.