COMPONENT

RESPONSIBLE COMMITTEE

1. Needs Assessment Data - The DuPage Homeless Continuum is using Service Point by Bowman for its Client Management Information System (CMIS).  The focus will be on 100% participation by all homeless providers, agreeing on the type of data needed, setting up the reports needed to analyze the data, what information has to be input to obtain these reports, and obtaining needs assessment data. Click here to view objectives

Needs Assessment Committee and CMIS Users Group

2. Emergency Prevention – The DuPage County Homeless Continuum will have in place an Emergency Prevention system that assists the maximum number of persons possible and operates efficiently. The focus will be on obtaining more funds from private sources, supporting the staff costs for these programs, maximizing the use of public funding to help more persons, streamlining procedures, identifying means for increasing timely access to prevention resources, identifying requirements that are a barrier for obtaining help now, and using other mainstream programs as a part of an overall homeless prevention effort. Click here to view objectives

Grants Funding Committee and Prevention Providers

3. Systems Prevention – The DuPage Homeless Continuum will work with local and state governments to ensure that discharge policies for persons leaving public systems such as jails, hospitals, mental health facilities, and the child welfare system are being implemented to prevent them from becoming homeless. The DuPage Homeless Providers will ensure that all eligible persons will be enrolled and benefit from all mainstream programs (mental health, substance abuse, TANF, child welfare, SSI, VA, Medicaid, Kidcare, etc. ) for which they are eligible that can assist in meeting their housing needs. Click here to view objectives

Community Outreach Committee and DuPage Federation

4. Outreach to Unsheltered – The DuPage Homeless Continuum will have an outreach and engagement system in place that reduces barriers to housing homeless persons who are not sheltered. A key focus will the development of low demand housing which will provide housing for unsheltered persons with mental illness and substance abuse treatment needs. A system of communication among human service providers will be developed and utilized to provide outreach services to the unsheltered homeless so that they can be rapidly placed. Click here to view objectives

Community Outreach Committee and DuPage Federation

5. Shorten Homelessness –The shelter and transitional housing providers will have procedures in place to minimize the length of time persons remain homeless and the number of times they become homeless. There will be incentives for all providers to get persons into permanent housing as quickly as possible. Click here to view objectives

Needs Assessment Committee

6. Timely Re-housing – The DuPage Continuum has in place skilled housing search and placement services available to facilitate the rapid re-housing of persons losing their housing and persons who are homeless and need permanent housing. Click here to view objectives

Needs Assessment Committee

7. Support Services – When persons are housed, they will have timely access to funded services that will provide health care, mental health services, substance abuse treatment services, etc. necessary for maintaining housing stability.  All funding streams for support services will be fully utilized to maximize the services available. Click here to view objectives

Grants Funding Committee and DuPage Federation

8. Increasing Income – In order to support housing costs, the DuPage Homeless Continuum providers will assist homeless persons in securing enough income to afford rent by rapidly linking them with employment and/or benefits.  Click here to view objectives

Community Outreach Committee and DuPage Federation

9. Creating Permanent Housing – In the last five years, the DuPage Continuum has funded 54 permanent supportive housing individual beds with the DuPage Health Department. They have also funded permanent supportive housing units for 5 families through Catholic Charities. Another 23 permanent housing units for families and individuals with Catholic Charities and DuPage P.A.D.S. have been funded. The DuPage Continuum will identify and develop an adequate supply of all types of permanent housing. To achieve this goal, the Continuum will work to expand the number of permanent supportive housing units, expand the supply of community affordable housing units,  increase the number of rent subsidies for market rate housing units, and explore the opportunities for developing safe haven, shelter plus care, and single room occupancy housing . The DuPage Continuum will communicate and participate with housing groups such as the DuPage Housing Authority and the DuPage Housing Action Coalition. It will establish relationships with housing developers, government housing programs, county government and municipal government regarding housing needs for the homeless and those at risk of homelessness. Click here to view objectives

Grants Funding Committee and DuPage Federation