Augusta Commissioners and members of the Task Force on Homelessness spent just over two hours on March 24 going over the action plan created by the task force.
A year in the making, the action plan is designed to guide Augusta on how to help homeless individuals, either short term or permanently, transition into affordable housing.
The task force was formed in early 2021 after homeless veteran Willie Walker was found frozen to death on the street in December 2020.
Most commissioners attended the workshop, along with Mayor Hardie Davis. They were presented a 37-page document with strategies and recommendations on addressing homelessness in Augusta.
Daniel Evans, Planning Development Supervisor from Augusta’s Housing and Development department, used a PowerPoint presentation to walk the commissioners through each step, beginning with the need to improve the quality, capacity and effectiveness of the emergency shelter system.
“We have a gap of over 400 beds between the express need demonstrated in the Point-in-Time count and the existing inventory made available,” he said. “So, the long-term goal of establishing a new, low barrier shelter in Augusta that incorporates day services on site, as well as case management and other client care coordination at the facility is crucial to the effectiveness of Augusta’s homeless crisis response.”
The plan recommends developing a permanent supportive housing initiative, using local, federal and private resource to create 50-75 new units by 2025. Evans said Augusta could use the $3.1 million allocated to the city by the HOME-ARP award, money received through the American Rescue Plan Act.
Another recommendation includes establishing a Mental Health Court, which has the support of Richmond County State Court Chief Judge David Watkins, along with working with law enforcement and mental health service providers to build a mobile crisis response team.
“To better meet the clinical needs of the residents in our community when they are experiencing episodes of mental health crisis is a more appropriate response than some of the current engagements that law enforcement has at their disposal,” said Evans.
This is not Augusta’s first stab a creating a plan to addresses homelessness.
Lynda Barrs, chairman of the task force’s action plan committee and Resource Development Director for CSRA Economic Opportunity Authority, said a plan was developed in 2004. Some of the proposals in that plan were incorporated into the new plan.
“For its time, it was dead on the money. It failed,” she said. “So, we looked at why did it fail. And I’ll tell you, it failed because leadership changed. Community leaders moved; stakeholders left. And the plan sort of faded into oblivion.”
To keep that from happening again, this plan recommends creating a new position, the Homeless Crisis Response Coordinator. Barrs said that person can manage the programs and continue to report to current, and newly elected commissioners and the mayor.
Commissioner Ben Hasan said it was clear the task force put a lot of hard work into creating the action plan.
“I think based on the research on the ground, I was able to capsulize exactly what needs to be done,” he said. “I noticed some short-term goals, long term goals. But some of those long-term goals and things that immediate as I think they’re reasonable, is something the commission can do.”
Commissioner John Clarke said he though the presentation was excellent.
“At least this time, we got some facts and figures and not a fly by night, what ifs in hopes and dreams. Because, you know, hopes and dreams are nothing without action,” he said, adding, “I was impressed with the work that they did. I think we can go forward. See where it goes.”
The plan is scheduled for a vote by the full commission during the March 30 meeting.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a general assignment reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com
