HOMEWARD PIKES PEAK

The Permanent Coordinating Organization for Homeless Services in the Pikes Peak Region

Annual Report: 2006

Gulf Coast Hurricane Relief

The first half of 2006 found Homeward Pikes Peak with two major missions: coordinating homeless services in the Pikes Peak region and managing the Pikes Peak Support Center, which served the needs of the Gulf Coast hurricane evacuees.  The Executive Director of HPP served as the CEO of that organization, pro bono, until its deactivation on June 16.

The Support Center served individuals and families through the work of five Community Liaisons and a transportation program which ran through mid-April.  The liaisons were both local and from the Gulf Coast and worked to make contact, assess needs and offer appropriate services, which included basic literacy and computer literacy training, resume preparation, job fairs, transportation, free bicycles and automobiles.  In addition, a great amount of time was spent helping individuals with FEMA paperwork and mediating tenant-landlord disputes.  These activities were funded by the trustees and staff of the El Pomar Foundation.

On June 16 this mission was handed over to Salvation Army and Lutheran Family Services, who received funding to perform these tasks over an extended period of time.

From a high of approximately 2010 individuals, about 1340 remained on the rolls in June, and that population has proven fairly stable at the end of 2006.  For most of the families, approximately 30 pieces of demographic data were collected: a study that was among the most thorough in the nation and unparalleled in Colorado.  This information enabled us to better target areas of need among the evacuees.

Throughout 2006 the Katrina Executive Group continued to meet regularly, not only to monitor the progress of hurricane relief efforts, but also to plan for future emergencies.

Five Year Blueprint to House Every Citizen of Colorado Springs

This year marked the fourth year of our five year blueprint.  Most of the objectives set for this year have been fulfilled.   Housing units for both crisis and chronically homeless families and individuals have increased and continue to increase steadily.  This year 25 new units were designated for chronically homeless suffering from mental illness, certainly one of the most challenging segments of the homeless population.  These individuals tend to be averse to treatment, yet utilize the majority of homeless service dollars in any community. 

Another major objective for the year was to increase the role of the private sector in bettering the lot of the needy, who are frequently living on the edge of homelessness.  Steve Bigari of Colorado Springs pioneered the concept of providing basic benefits to those employees in the lowest economic echelons of his business.  He found that his "investment" was returned in lower recruiting and training costs, increased employee loyalty and from having a pool of experienced workers from which to choose potential managers.

Not withstanding the generosity of community members, foundations and faith-based organizations, we will probably not see a significant improvement in the status of the economically disadvantaged until the private sector realizes, as did Mr. Bigari, that it can be a very positive business practice to invest in the welfare of employees.

The mitigation of aggressive panhandling in the downtown area has been accomplished by another initiative of the private sector, i.e., funding extra police patrols, in combination with Homeward Pikes Peak's promulgating business-size cards directing panhandlers to various sources of assistance.  In addition, funding is being actively sought for a social worker to accompany the police and to provide information to individuals on homeless assistance programs, especially those for the chronically homeless.

During the coming year ideas will be solicited throughout the community for input into a new blueprint, most likely a ten year plan, that will take effect in 2008.

CHAP (Comprehensive Homeless Service Providers)

The CHAP organization is chaired by the Executive Director of Homeward Pikes Peak.  Approximately thirty to forty agencies are represented at monthly meetings which offer structured and unstructured opportunities for introductions, networking and learning about the activities of other agencies.  Another monthly feature of the meetings is guest speakers.  This year participants heard presenters on topics such as the United Way Emergency Preparedness Initiative, the Community Anti-Drug Coalition of America, the Compassionate Counseling Consortium and Teaming for Technology.  "Kids with Kids" was a symposium that enabled the group to work together to organize the community's disparate services for young mothers with children. 

Finally, the CHAP organization this year was a vital communication link with the agencies spearheading the work of Gulf Coast hurricane relief, as well as source of critical services.

Mental Health Providers

Interest in this committee has greatly increased over the past year. Monthly meetings were held in 2006, as opposed to three meetings in 2005.  Approximately eight to ten agencies participate each month to work on possibilities for collaboration in the treatment of mental health clients.  The idea is that at some point the organization will be run by the Community Mental Health Collaboration; but at this point, the Executive Director of HPP continues to organize and chair the meetings.

Lines of communication are established at these meetings and suggestions for referrals are frequently made for clients having difficulty accessing treatment.  This is not a large committee, and the agencies represented are, for the most part, operating on minimal budgets; but it has helped individuals who would otherwise have been overlooked by the system.

The "cooperative system" I spoke about in last year's report has begun, if on a small scale; and it is filling gaps in service until a more comprehensive system can be funded and implemented.

Coalition HOPE

Coalition HOPE began in February of 2005 and has changed in direction over 2006.  Presently the initiative is referred to as the Community Health Consortium.  From its beginnings as a way to increase funding for substance abuse and mental health treatment in the community, it has grown into a more comprehensive health program, expanding into various areas of physical health, as well.

Work at this time centers on enabling legislation to allow for a mill levy to fund the program.

Much work remains to be done as the focus of the initiative becomes increasingly more clear.

Super NOFA

The HUD Super NOFA grant is still the largest single source of funding for shelter for the homeless.  As this report is written, the 2006 grants have not yet been awarded; but we are confident that we will again receive 99% or better of the available "pro rata share"  funds for our demographic area. 

In 2006 we applied for five units, the maximum available, to provide "Shelter + Care" to chronically homeless individuals with mental health problems.  This will add to the 25 units each in years 2003 and 2004 ( the maximum in those years) which we have previously been awarded.

We have also been looking at the possibility of using some of these units to "beta test" a program called "Housing First".  The object of the program is to identify chronically homeless individuals, even though they may have substance abuse and mental health problems, and to put them into modest apartments or single rooms if they agree to abide by the terms of a lease and also agree to work with case managers. 

Data from existing programs show a retention rate of over 80% of people placed in housing.  It is not a perfect solution, but in Colorado Springs we find that it costs roughly twice as much to ignore a chronically homeless person and leave him on the streets as it does to offer this type of service: $36,000 for a street-dweller v. $18,000 for a sheltered person.  The street dweller costs taxpayers for police, fire, ambulance time and especially for emergency room visits.