Homelessness Task Force co-chair Commissioner Jordan Johnson has announced the names of the 15 people who will serve as members of the action plan committee.
Those 15 people will be tasked with creating a homelessness action. plan.
“We know what the issues are, and we know who the homeless are. We need to get a plan on paper,” Johnson said.
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The committee will take over the monthly meetings beginning with the July 15 meeting. After the plan is created, the full task force will come back together to review it, make any necessary adjustments and then present the final plan to the commission.
Also at Thursday’s meeting, task force members heard an update on planning for the non-congregate shelter.
Daniel Evans of Augusta Housing and Community Development said there are three high level issues to work out. First, where will the shelter be located and how will it interact with existing facilities? Second, finding a partner with the expertise to operate the shelter, which will operate 24 hours an day.
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“Last but not least — and probably most important, in all honesty — is the sustainability. What is the operational capacity, and how are we able to leverage existing resources and bring in new stakeholders to ensure the long-term viability,” said Evans.
He said there is a resource gap. As the need has grown, the resources have not grown.
Hawthorne Welcher, director of Augusta Housing and Community Development, said his group will be prepared to make a presentation on the non-congregate shelter at the July meeting of the action plan committee.
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To this point, the task force meetings have been held virtually. Beginning with the July 15 committee meeting they will be held in person and will be open to the public. Johnson will announce the location when it is available.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a Staff Reporter with The Augusta Press. You can reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com.
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