Date: January 26, 2009

To: Mayor Hanks

Cc: Sandra McNeely, RCPL Policy Committee Chair

From: G. Chapman, Director

Re: Mayor’s Committee on Homelessness

Recent attention has been paid to the issue of homeless people, both in the Rapid City Public Library and in the downtown area. In response, library staff have investigated options for bringing neighborhood partners together in a homeless coalition. When the economy hits a rough patch it’s often the poorest communities that suffer the most. The problems are not going to get better during this time so there is more of a need. When people think of homelessness they usually think of someone who lacks a place to live or sleep, but there is also all the other issues that come with homelessness of food, medical, transportation, having your children in school and clothing.

What can be done:

• Education and collaboration of resources

Key stakeholders of the Downtown Neighborhood convened for a Mayor’s Council on Homelessness – Co-Chairs Renee Parker and Darla Drew

• Direct intervention on the streets by support organizations including businesses

• Recruitment of Volunteers

Challenge to all city employees: The best part about investing time, energy and support in is that it is truly double bottom line. Volunteers enjoy the knowledge that they have positively touched someone’s life, and hopefully made a difference in that life.

Volunteers help provide desperately needed services to all those who come to the event. Those services range from helping people get temporary housing, to signing up for safety net programs such as SSI or General Assistance, or just accessing health care with medical, dental and vision check-ups.

A comparable coalition, Project Homeless Connect (PHC) brings together community volunteers and civic organizations, city government, non-profits, social services and the private sector to provide one-stop service fairs for the homeless of the community. Examples of services provided by this and other homeless coalitions include medical, mental health, child care, transportation, substance abuse and housing services as well as employment interviews and wheelchair maintenance.

In order to create an organized resource for the homeless in the downtown Rapid City area, an advocacy group with direct experience with the homelessness issue as well as adjunct members could be brought together to engage in discussions resulting in positive action. Goals of the group would include:

1. Improving and streamlining access to services and housing for the homeless or near-homeless

2. Engaging and increasing awareness and collaborative involvement of the Downtown community as well as Rapid City non-profits and service providers.

3. Improving the system of care by creating an atmosphere of collaboration and sharing of best practices among the neighborhood organizations.

Possible stakeholders would include:

1. Mayor (or city representative)

2. RC Public Library representative

3. United Way

4. Downtown area churches

5. The Cornerstone Rescue Mission

6. Black Hills Area Homeless Coalition

7. Representative from the Rapid City Downtown Association

8. RC Police Department liaison

9. WAVI representative

Adjunct members could include but not be limited to:

1. Youth and Family Services

2. Detox Center

3. North Rapid Civic Association

4. SDSMT

5. NAU

6. Democracy in Action

7. Rapid City Community Health Center Outreach Program

8. Black Hills Food Bank

9. Health Care for the Homeless

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER