Agenda - 05-04-1999 - 7b - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

D. Geographic Distribution -See above program descriptions. E. Homeless and Other Special Needs Activities Orange County Continuum of Care Plan Orange County's Continuum of Care Plan uses as a foundation, work began by the Homeless Women and Children Task Force that was organized in 1991. The Orange County Commission for Women, with the support and approval of the IFC Community House Board, created a task force to study the issues surrounding homeless women and children. Specifically, there was a concern about the growing number, and special needs of homeless women and children coming to the IFC Community House -the local homeless shelter. In the summer of 1993, the Task Force presented a Community Report and Recommendations to the Orange County Board of Commissioners. Over 80 recommendations were made to public and private agencies to address a broad range of special needs and barriers to service delivery for homeless families. Subsequently, another county-wide task force was formed to plan for the development of housing options for homeless families in Orange County. The Orange County Board of Commissioners appointed members to serve on its Emergency Family Support and Shelter Task Force. The Task Force includes representatives from the Inter-Faith Council, Orange-Durham Coalition for Battered Women, Orange County Department of Social Services, Day Care Services Association, the Orange County Commission for Women, Orange-Person-Chatham Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Authority, The Women's Center, and North State Legal Services, as well as representatives from the Towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, and Orange County. -With the Task Force efforts as the background, this Continuum of Care Plan has the following components: 1. Emergency Shelter Assessment; 2. Transitional Housing and Necessary Social Services Needs; and 3. Plans for Permanent Supportive Housing. The examination of these components will assist the County in understanding the gaps in the provision of services to the homeless population and in developing strategies to address the identified gaps. Emergency Shelter Assessment The Inter-Faith Council (IFC), a local non-profit agency, began providing shelter for Orange County's homeless population in 1985. The shelter facility is known as Community House and is the only emergency housing resource for families in Orange County. It is designed to provide only short-term emergency shelter for families and singles. A recent report from Community House indicates 17