180-page report strives to define the issue, identify the players and funding sources and provide a services inventory

By Morgan Rothborne, Ashland.news

“It’s already the 11th hour of crisis. … We’re all one crisis away from homelessness or homelessness, right? We can’t make our rent because of a medical crisis or something, right?” said Jan Calvin, a member of the leadership team of the Homeless Services Masterplan Subcommittee. 

Calvin and fellow member of the leadership team Echo Fields laid out the details of the city’s recently published Homeless Services Masterplan and its suggested actions for the city during the Ashland City Council study session Monday. 

The report council tasked the subcommittee to create was largely a SWOT analysis — strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats  — of the existing systems in play for homelessness in Ashland and the greater regional area, Calvin said. To gather the data, committee members sought to find out information including the number of homeless people in Ashland, number of organizations and entities providing services and sources of funding.  They also took surveys with open-ended questions of front-line homelessness workers, business owners, homeless people and general Ashland residents, Fields said.  

Calvin underlined the importance of choosing a desired outcome before considering steps to take in the face of an issue with great depth of need and complexity — and an “issue” that makes up the day-to-day life for an estimated 220 to 362 people living homeless in Ashland. 

“Think of this like a hospital, it’s a public health issue, there are immediate needs right now. Is there a role for the city? Perhaps,” she said. 

If the city were to think of the homelessness landscape of Ashland like a hospital, it could respond with triage of most immediate needs and organize subsequent down-the-line treatment.

If someone is having a mental health crisis, they could post a public safety risk, Calvin said. Someone who is disabled with limited mobility has limited ability to leverage themselves out of homelessness. 

Data-gathering interviews with Ashland business owners and homeless people aligned in a desire for more bathrooms and overall services. Business owners showed compassion, concern and frustration.

Ashland residents were in agreement with front-line workers in emphasizing the need for collaboration. Only 32% of residents expressed a desire for the city to provide services, while 62% hoped the city would “lead the charge” in attacking homelessness, Calvin said. 

Councilor Eric Hansen asked how the city could “lead the charge” but not provide services. Calvin responded that the city could establish partnerships and assist with finances or carry the liability insurance for other enterprises while other entities provide services. Fields stated that many organizations seem to be repeatedly reinventing the wheel rather than communicating and working efficiently together. 

But triage and treatment such as providing services doesn’t end homelessness. Long-term strategies such as housing are suggested in the report’s action section, but these options are hard to achieve and won’t come with immediate relief. 

“The thing that has been missing is it’s going to take long-term ongoing engagement with this issue long past the time that it’s of interest to everyone,” said Linda Ried, another member of the subcommittee. 

Graham directed staff to review the potential steps outlined in the report and identify which the city may already be engaged in in order to ease the workload for staff analyzing the feasibility of the potential actions and the city’s future. 

The results of staff’s review of the masterplan is anticipated to be included in the ongoing conversation at the 2200 Ashland St. action committee and up for further discussion at a to-be-determined council meeting, Graham said. 

Email Ashland.news reporter Morgan Rothborne at [email protected].

Related stories:

City Council: Homeless Services Masterplan up for review at study session Monday (Aug. 4)

Ashland homelessness master plan includes ‘spicy’ survey responses, compassion and suggestions (July 22, 2024)

Homelessness master plan for Ashland almost complete (June 28, 2024)