Homeless Plan benefits all, Relocation Task Force chair says FWD

Tom Boland (wgcp@earthlink.net)
Mon, 26 Oct 1998 06:32:58 -0400 

http://www.dispatch.com/pan/editorials/laz23edw.html
FWD  Columbus [Ohio] Dispatch - letter to the editor - October 23, 1998

[Robert Lazarus Jr. is chairman of the Scioto Peninsula Relocation Task Force.]


                       HOMELESS PLAN BENEFITS US ALL
                       Robert Lazarus Jr.


The banks of the Scioto River have become the site of dramatic
transformations. The penitentiary's stone walls have given way to the
Nationwide Arena. Veterans Memorial will get its first major face lift in
30 years. An old high school will become Ohio's Centerof Science and
Industry.

Two shelters for homeless men operate in the shadow of this booming
development. They face critical decisions about their futures.

These current events present unique opportunities to improve the lives of
men in crisis and to improve our community's quality of life. I have had
the privilege of participating in the Scioto Peninsula Relocation Task
Force. Our job was to recommend ways the community can use resources more
wisely to help homeless men return to productive, dignified lives.

We recently unveiled a draft plan that does more than just relocate
homeless men; it rebuilds their lives. The plan calls for improving
emergency housing for those in crisis. It also proposes something
visionary, ambitious and proven; the development of stable housing with
coordinated services to end long-term dependence on shelters.

Earlier this month the task force invited citizens to attend public forums,
continuing the process of reaching out to the community. While the subject
was a housing strategy for homeless men, participants also talked about
making our community better for all residents.

Many who attended applauded our efforts to address the needs of residents
living near shelters and supported our recommendation to bring together the
agencies that support homeless individuals. They also understood that
emergency shelter is not the greatest cost in the homeless service system.
It's the hidden costs that are so expensive. Homeless people are in and out
of hospital emergency rooms, drug and alcohol treatment centers and
psychiatric facilities.

Columbus has made remarkable progress in supporting individuals and
families that find themselves in a housing crisis. Our shelters do a good
job providing a place to stay for the 85 percent of homeless men who face a
short-term problem. It's the remaining 15 percent that we need to better
address. They have more difficult, long-term problems that the current
system can't address effectively. This small group uses an astonishing 50
percent of resources devoted to homeless men.

How do we solve these problems? The answer is to move away from a
one-size-fits-all approach and toward a system that meets short-term and
long-term needs.

Our plan does just that. The system we recommend would break the cycle of
homelessness by creating supportive housing: permanent, affordable housing
that offers counseling and on- site social services to allow men to achieve
stability. Approximately 800 units of this housing are needed for Franklin
County. Supportive housing works. A national study showed a 55 percent
increase in employment in supportive housing settings. Other research has
linked supportive housing with reductions in mental-health hospitalization,
arrests and incarceration.

The system we recommend would strengthen the safety net of emergency
shelters to fill short- term housing needs. At the end of five years, the
system would continue to support four emergency shelters. The number of
shelter beds would be reduced as men receive the community services they
need and get access to stable housing.

Supportive housing, combined with job training and placement assistance,
will provide workers to our labor force at a time when employers are
desperate for good employees. By getting people treatment when they need
it, we will reduce the number of repeat substance abusers and the costs
associated with them. Our community can invest the dollars currently lost
to emergency rooms, jails and mental-health facilities.

How can we achieve these ambitious goals? First, the community needs to
learn about and embrace the task force's proposal. I urge you to call the
Community Shelter Board at 221-9195 for a copy of the proposed plan.
Second, facilities need to work in partnership with the neighborhoods in
which they arelocated to ensure safety and accountability. Third community
services must work cooperatively. Finally, business and community leaders
must ensure financing and resources for proper implementation. We must
start now.

With everyone working toward a common goal, we can use this moment to
benefit homeless men, the Franklinton neighborhood, Downtown visitors and
all central Ohio residents.

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