HomeMy WebLinkAboutWORKSHOP re Housing Advocay Day and Emergency Shelter Funding JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
WORKSHOP AGENDA REQUEST
TO: Board of County Commissioners
FROM: Heather Dudley-Nollette, County Commissioner
DATE: March 10, 2025
RE: Workshop: Housing Advocacy Day and Emergency Shelter Funding
STATEMENT OF ISSUE:
There are two timely and related but somewhat independent issues that have been brought to
our attention as Commissioners and as members of the Housing Fund Board which could
benefit from a broad assessment of input from housing and shelter advocates in the
community:
1) There is an upcoming Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day on Friday, March 14th, 2025
where housing advocates gather to express support for legislation that they perceive will
strengthen housing opportunities for people at the local level.
2) Dove House Advocacy Services presented public comments at the 2/26/25 Housing Fund
Board meeting indicating that they intended to make a mid-cycle request for funds to replace
previously received and anticipated state funds needed to maintain operations of their
emergency shelter serving women and children. We are also aware of the impending need for
renewed funding to support ongoing operations of the Jefferson County Emergency Shelter.
ANALYSIS:
1) There has not been a strong showing of Jefferson County representatives at this Advocacy
Day in the past. This workshop gives an opportunity to discuss whether we should put effort
into pulling together a coalition of community advocates to attend —either this year and/or
in future years.
2) Current emergency shelter and housing providers and advocates in Jefferson County, along
with experts on co-occurring behavioral health needs have been invited to attend this
workshop to provide public comment about the perceived needs and gaps in shelter,
housing and services. The intent of this portion of the workshop is to identify whether there
are other immediate emergency shelter operations gaps that we should be considering
when determining whether additional county funds should or can be appropriated to fill
these funding gaps.
a. Note that a much more comprehensive needs assessment is underway by the
Housing Fund Board, as an input into the pending revision to the 5-Year Housing
Affordability and Homelessness Plan. This workshop is not intended to capture all of
the research that group has been doing, which will be included in the upcoming
planning process that the Housing Fund Board is undertaking. Rather it will focus on
assessing mid-cycle emergency shelter funding needs across the community.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact involved in the workshop and no decisions related to fiscal impact will
be made at the workshop. However, input received here will be considered in future decision-
making.
RECOMMENDATION: Listen to the comments and ask questions, as appropriate, to gain a
broad understanding of both housing advocacy needs at the legislative level, and the
immediate and short-to mid-term needs for emergency shelter to serve a broad population in
Jefferson County.
REVIEWED BY:
Mark McC ley, County Admini t for Da e