Homelessness Task Force to issue recommendations

A Homelessness Task Force created in August 2009 by the Fort Smith Board of Directors is expected to report back to the board Tuesday (March 30) on 14 recommendations that are “interrelated to provide a comprehensive solution to address the needs of the homeless and the concerns of the community.”

The task force was established following a series of community meetings in early August 2009 facilitated by Fort Smith Police Chief Kevin Lindsey. More than 150 meeting attendees called for a better plan to help the homeless while also protecting business and residential interests in downtown Fort Smith and the Belle Grove historic neighborhood.

The community meetings partially resulted from a request by the Community Rescue Mission to build a 3,300-square foot dormitory-style housing for the homeless adjacent to the Belle Grove district. The project was eventually withdrawn by the Community Rescue Mission.

Possibly the boldest of the 14 recommendations is a plan to create a “campus setting” that would consolidate homeless services and “eliminate travel, duplication of services and better represent the dignity of the homeless persons.” This recommendation also includes funding a new campus and disposing of existing homeless service facilities. A related recommendation asks the board to explore a “campus site in a current industrial area south of Garrison Avenue.”

The Salvation Army has volunteered to hire a consulting firm to develop a “Mission Planning Study” to investigate the campus setting possibility.

“The Mission Planning Study will provide the Army with current information pertaining to the community’s needs, socioeconomic trends, projections, and other information needed to determine the Army’s future service, program, and facility needs for the next ten years,” noted the task force report. “The study will take approximately two months to compete and will be shared with city officials and the community. The findings of the Mission Planning will be very beneficial to the city in its continued study of a homelessness campus.”

Another recommendation suggests the city utilize a “homeless management reporting system” to quantify the problem. This recommendation is related to one requesting the city fund a full-time paid staff person for the Old Fort Homeless Coalition. The coalition, according to the task force report, was created in January 2001 and covers Crawford, Franklin, Logan, Polk, Scott and Sebastian counties. It’s all-volunteer staff works to eliminate homelessness and help homeless agencies better collaborate in provide services to the needy.

Other recommendations include:
• The city restrict social service agencies from expanding in their current locations or the creation of a new social service agency in the downtown and Belle Grove areas;
• The city conduct a community education effort to “generate community support” for the homeless and the consolidate campus;
• The city consider a free voucher transportation program for social service providers;
• Ask the city to work with the Old Fort Homeless Coalition to create a job corps with which the city would give priority when lot clean-ups and other city services are contracted;
• Seek “enhanced police protection” in the Belle Grove and downtown areas; and,
• The city “put more teeth” in existing ordinances and hold property owners more responsible for the maintenance of properties.

The recommendation asking for tougher oversight of property maintenance also calls for more city staff to administer existing ordinances.

City board members, city staff and task force representatives are expected to discuss the report at the board’s March 30 study session, which begins at Noon and is held in the Community Room of the Fort Smith Public Library.

Link here to a PDF (it’s a large file) of the board meeting agenda that includes a copy of the task force report.