Video Living in the neighborhood: Interview with Moreland neighborhood resident Michelle Latkovski

Human Services for the Capitol District

The following is the consensus of recommendations concerning human services in the capitol area. It was developed by the core team with maximum input from charrette advisers and participants.

Homelessness
There are at least three categories of homelessness. The economically homeless often simply need assistance finding and funding housing. Many of these people are currently working and only need affordable housing. The disabled homeless are on the street because they cannot function fully due to some physical and/or mental incapacity. However, in a stable housing environment with support services, they can live productive lives, well integrated into the community.

Lastly, there are the chronically homeless, who may also be seriously mentally ill, alcoholic, or drug addicted. Basic human needs of a meal and a bed could be met by low-demand shelters for this population. It is these chronically homeless that scare people and lead to a stereotyping of the problem.

Principles and Recommendations
- Capacity - The provision of homeless services must be sized according to the carrying capacity of the neighborhood area to absorb the impacts.

- Deconcentration - The provision of services should not be concentrated in any one neighborhood in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Individuals receiving homeless services in other locations should not be transported into the capitol district area to receive additional services. At the same time, the unintended consequences of deconcentration (the leaf-blowing effect) must be mitigated.

- Balance - There must be a coordinated balance of services in any one location throughout the metropolitan area. Currently there are a variety of services provided in the district - food, shelter, job center, medical clinic - but the level of services provided are not balanced. For example, there are a disproportionately large number of meals provided compared to the other services.

- Continuum - There must be a continuum of housing types in a range of scales appropriate to the community: emergency shelters, low-demand shelters, transitional shelters, single room occupancy hotels (SRO's), supportive housing, affordable apartments, affordable houses, and conventional market-rate housing.

- Plan - There must be a strategic plan for the re-siting of related local businesses, including day work, blood banks, pawn shops, and liquor shops - and a plan for reorienting and resizing local support services.

Strategies
- Ownership - Establish a coalition of state, county, and city representatives, service providers, private business people, and neighborhood residents that will coordinate planning, designate funding requirements, and provide leadership in implementing the siting and expansion of services. This coalition owns the problem!

- Intake - Establish within the district an intake site and referral system so as to prevent the necessity for expanded services in the district.

- Transportation - Develop a suitable transportation system that allows for effective referrals.