A partnership to end homelessness in the Fargo-Moorhead area is more than halfway through their initial 90-day initiative.
United to End Homelessness is a partnership between United Way of Cass Clay and the Fargo Moorhead Coalition to End Homelessness. In December, they presented at 30-60-90-day plan to the Fargo City Commission establishing a cross-sector advisory group that works together on actionable steps to reduce and end homelessness.
Chandler Esslinger is Executive Director for the Fargo Moorhead Coalition to End Homelessness. She says the steering committee they’ve assembled has 15 members from service providers within the area homeless response system.
"We have representation from a couple of the area shelters who are providing some of that overflow for the winter shelter operations. We also have representation from our local housing authorities there, really to provide that expertise on vouchers and other programming that comes to our community from the federal government. And then we also have housing providers, so folks who help individuals navigate the system to attain housing, and then maintain stable housing long term."
Esslinger says some strategies are getting close to being ready to being implemented. A public giving site has also been activated for the public to support the initiative.
Taylor Syvertson is Director of Community Impact for United Way of Cass Clay. She says she’s encouraged and hopeful about this work going forward.
"We've received such a positive response from the folks that we're working with, and our community truly sees this as urgent and solvable. And I think that energy is something that's important for us to continue to make good on - and make sure that we don't leave this work here, but that we continue on forward and build a system that allows our community to have this legacy where we are strong, and stable, and people have access to the resources they need."
Esslinger says a finished action plan should be ready over the next 30 days.
Tuesday evening, House Republicans in Washington D.C. passed a federal spending plan that contains sweeping cuts to programs like Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. While Esslinger says she remains encouraged and excited about working on this initiative to end local homelessness, she also says it’s important to keep in mind the material consequences of these potential cuts to the health and safety of communities.
"I would just really encourage folks to communicate their concerns about that potential disruption of critical funding, because it will absolutely lead to families and individuals who are already in economically precarious situations fall into crisis. And when those systems are not well supported, we already know what happens. So it's really imperative that we speak up about the potential impacts of those funding limitations, and also the impact it has on the entire community - not just those who would be directly experiencing some of those cuts."