This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
This is the fourth installment of what was to be a five-part series on homelessness in Longmont. However, we have gotten so much good information that we need to make this a six-part series! This segment will focus on Longmont Community Services and the work they are doing to help support service providers in Longmont.
Services for adults experiencing homelessness in Longmont are now being coordinated through Homeless Solutions for Boulder County, according to Karen Roney of Community Services. The primary function of Community Services is to provide funding to service providers that help people experiencing homelessness.
Homeless Solutions for Boulder County primarily works with adults that are experiencing homelessness. About a year ago, they launched a coordinated entry system that allowed them to provide more targeted and responsive programming for people experiencing homelessness. Having a coordinated entry program means that there is a standard screening tool so that anybody, wanting to access services, goes through a single assessment. It also means data is now collected in a consistent manner.
This data is shared across agencies and helps determine the best referral for each person. In addition, this allows for better analysis of homelessness in Boulder County. However, not all those experiencing homelessness want to be screened for services.
Adults that go through the coordinated entry program are typically referred to one of two services. For those adults that have a higher level of needs, the focus is on getting the person into housing-focused shelter provided by Boulder County Shelter for the Homeless. For those that have a lower level of needs, they are referred to navigation services, provided by HOPE and the OUR Center in Longmont. The goal for both services is to work with these individuals on a housing plan to get them into stable housing as quickly as possible.
New arrivals and those just passing through Longmont, are not eligible for housing-focused shelter. In order to qualify to stay at the Boulder Shelter, the individual must have been here for a minimum of 30 days. They will be referred to navigation services instead in an attempt to reunify those experiencing homelessness with previous services, friends, or family that can help. However, six-month data shows that of those served by Homeless Solutions for Boulder County, 61% have lived in Longmont for at least two years, 12% have lived here for six months or more, and 13% have lived here for at least one month.
Because of this data, Karen Roney says it is unlikely that most people experiencing homelessness come here for the services, although there is a strong informal network among them, so it could happen.
One of the biggest challenges faced when providing services to people experiencing homelessness is having an adequate number of available housing units. In addition, there aren’t enough permanent supportive services for people experiencing homelessness.
Community members can do both small and large things to help fill in the gaps. There are agencies that people can volunteer their time with or support with monetary donations. In addition, Longmont has been hosting community conversations regarding how best to help people experiencing homelessness.
People can contact Karen Roney for a list of community-based organizations that are helping serve people experiencing homelessness. She can be reached at 303-651-8633.
Although it is not a regular part of Roney’s job, she does encounter those experiencing homelessness at public facilities fairly regularly. Even though not all encounters are positive, most of them are. She reaches out and interacts with people experiencing homelessness with compassion and treats them like fellow human beings. Just smiling and being kind can go a long way, she says. She encourages her fellow citizens to do the same.
As for what she would like the public to know about homelessness, Roney says that people need to understand that homelessness is a housing problem. There is a lack of affordable and available housing in Longmont. In addition, homelessness is a complex problem, and it will take all of us working together. She believes that having a safe place to live is a shared value in the community.
In addition, she wants people to understand that those experiencing homelessness are people too. We all have the opportunity to engage in bad behavior in our lives and we are all accountable for our behavior.
As for individual citizens helping people experiencing homelessness, Roney wants people to empower them, not enable them. She says that providing food and money may meet a need and make you feel good, but it isn’t helpful in the long-term.
