CSP
HOUSING FIRST REQUIRES A SPONSOR
Any effort to bring permanent housing to Fairbanks’ chronically inebriated people will require a sponsor agency – not a loose consortium of players. That was the “aha” upshot from a field trip to tour Seattle’s 1811 Eastlake, the first housing project in America to house the highest consumers of emergency services without making that housing a condition of clinical success – that is, the residents at 1811 Eastlake don’t have to stop drinking.
It’s a path-of-least-resistance approach with fans in Fairbanks once you consider that we pay to keep chronically inebriated people ON the streets with highly trained police, emergency personnel, and the emergency room. It is cheaper, according to an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, to house the most down-and-out chronic inebriates.
The field trip was paid for by the Alaska Mental Health Trust. The Fairbanks delegation joined an Anchorage delegation seeking answers to concerns about the housing first project proposed in Anchorage’s Fairview neighborhood.
Author’s note: I believe Fairview’s concerns about a “party house” had good answers:
- A facility’s ability to be a good neighbor relies on skilled management that engages with the surrounding community;
- “Aggressive engagement” by the facility staff and time-tested addendums to their lease contract both protect residents from victimization and furnish strong levers to influence positive behavior in the neighborhood;
- The population at Eastlake is medically fragile from years of substance abuse;
- Residents tend to isolate in their room rather than carouse.
TAIL WINDS FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE PATROL
A recent upsurge in financial support is good news for the Community Service Patrol. The CSP got $50,000 in direct operational funding from the City of Fairbanks and a new van from the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority (whose contribution in the last twelve months totals $104,000). Article.
Taken together, these are large contributions toward improving the business climate downtown and addressing the needs of un-well people who sometimes cannot care for themselves.
The News-Miner editorial got it right, though: the CSP needs more of the community support from existing and new partners that has kept it going. If you are interested in helping, please contact David at 452-8676.
April 13 at 6 PM in City Hall Join Police Chief Laren Zager and the Downtown Association to discuss summer 2010’s plans for keeping downtown welcoming to all. Please print and display this flyer.
‘Housing First’ for chronic inebriates could work in Fairbanks
Meeting in City Hall January 12th, Alaska Housing Finance Corporation brass described a ‘housing first’ project as a viable approach to Fairbanks’ chronic inebriate problems that could save our community money, improve the business climate downtown and furnish maximum assistance to people who flat-out need help. Housing first, of course, is not without its challenges. Hear the story and read about Anchorage’s effort and Springfield, MA’s experience.
The Downtown Association will work the Homeless Coalition in the months ahead to determine the feasibility of a ‘homeless first’ project. A field trip to Seattle’s Eastlake project is being arranged. Please contact the Coalition’s Karen Lidster for more information 488-6954 fairbankshomeless@yahoo.com
City creates budget reserve for the Community Service Patrol
The Fairbanks City Council voted unanimously to create a budget reserve to support the operations of the Community Service Patrol. The CSP improves the business climate downtown while looking after the welfare of chronically inebriated people who may also be homeless and suffer mental disorders. Terms of the money’s use have yet to be determined by the Council.
The City has long supported the Community Service Patrol, but it is unusual for the Council to fund the CSP’s operations directly. Gaining direct support has been a priority for the Downtown Association the past year – after realizing in February that once again the program was under-funded, and that municipalities elsewhere typically fund such programs to relieve police and emergency services.
Initial efforts to fund the CSP revolved around the City’s general funds. In a tough budget year, however, the City Council considered that the only funds available for this unique program were hotel/motel monies. The reserve was created by re-allocating hotel/motel tax revenues that would have otherwise funded budgets of the Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation and the Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau, not from the discretionary monies granted to Fairbanks non-profits.
Financing “housing first” for chronic inebriates
Alaska Housing Finance Corporation brass will be in Fairbanks to explain ongoing programs to address homelessness, specifically the financing of a ‘housing first’ project and progress on Anchorage’s effort. Dan Fauske, Executive Director/CEO and Mark Romick, Planning and Program Development Director will present Tuesday January 12 at 10 AM in City Council chambers. This is an open meeting.
City mulls financial support for the CSP
At the November 23 City Council meeting, Council members heard testimony encouraging the City to assume a more active stance in supporting the Community Service Patrol (CSP). The CSP plays an important role in improving the business climate in a defined area downtown and in transporting the concentrations of chronically inebriated people to appropriate points of care.
In years past, the City has supported the CSP with in-kind maintenance of the patrol van, small grants and additional pass-through grants from the Parking Authority. Direct financial support would be something of a departure for the City, but a necessary measure to bolster the City’s efforts to improve the business climate downtown, reduce cost- and duty-burden to essential police and emergency services, while meeting a social obligation for the welfare of those who cannot care for themselves.
The City can play a decisive role in stabilizing funding for 2010 and perhaps beyond – if needed. Council members – especially Council member Vivian Stiver – appear willing to propose direct financial support for the CSP. As the Council and Mayor work-through the 2010 budget process, please thank Council members for the City’s past support and encourage the City Council members and Mayor Strle to extend to the CSP direct financial support in 2010.
Downtown Brings Homeless Problem into Focus
Used succesfully in other communities, “Housing First” targets the most at-risk homeless population and saves the comunity money. Those most likely to be offered “housing first” are the chronically inebriated people routinely taken from downtown to the hospital or jail by police or emergency services only to return downtown again hours later. This is a costly cycle – and a cycle that negatively impacts the downtown business community. Learn more – stories from the News-Miner and KUAC.
