Minutes 10-19-2021 Virtual Business meeting

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28 Corey Root said it was going to be an ask from Town of Chapel Hill, for a fancy port-a- potty with some tracking technology to understand how often it is used, etc. Chair Price referred to the return to homelessness within 2 years, and asked if some particular happened in 2019 to make the percentage so low and then go back up in 2020 and 2021. Rachel Waltz said that is actually the number exited from homelessness to permanent housing, not people returning to homelessness. Chair Price asked if there is an idea of the number of people who will always be homeless, because it is their choice or preference. Rachel Waltz said this is a common question, but no one wants to be homeless; however, shelter comes with a set of conditions that most people would not want for themselves. She said permanent supportive housing is a best practice that has been around for 40 years now, and is designated for people who have experienced chronic homeless and have a self-identified disability. She said there is large amount of research that people who are permanently housed have better health outcomes, less interaction with criminal justice system, more night housed, etc. Commissioner McKee exited the meeting at 9:35 pm Chair Price said there are people who just will not be housed for whatever reason, whether to do with mental illness, or they just reject housing and would rather be homeless. She asked if there is an idea of the percentage in this community. She said she did know one person who preferred to camp in the woods, and did not want permanent housing. She said in other locales, there are some people who remain homeless no matter what staff does, Corey Root said it used to be acceptable in the field to say that some people just want to be homeless and that is that; but now, in the work, there are a lot of people who are hard to house, have barriers to housing entry and housing maintenance. She said there are no people in this community who staff is not trying to continue to house, even if the answer is repeatedly no. She said staff continues to have conversations about housing with people who may have previously declined. She said if housing is offered with optional high quality case management, where people can be in their own space and set their own rules, it is irresistible. She said this is true nationwide as well. Chair Price said she is glad to hear this. Commissioner Greene said staff has always told her that if there are people who are "choosing" to be homeless, it is not really their position, and it is the failure of the providers to be reaching their needs. She said it used to be the broader feeling that some people prefer to be homeless, or are unhelp-able, but there is more of an understanding that if one works hard enough at it, people do want to be helped. 8. Consent Agenda • Removal of Any Items from Consent Agenda Items 8-i and 8-j were moved from the consent agenda to the regular agenda at the start of the meeting. Commissioner Bedford asked to pull item 8-h from the consent agenda for discussion. Commissioner McKee returned to the meeting at 9:40 pm.