In the Cities and States: Nebraska Governor Heineman Focuses on Next Steps in Preventing and Ending Homelessness

FROM US INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON HOMELESSNESS

LINCOLN, NEBRASKA. Growing partnership to prevent and end homelessness encouraged by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness is at work in Nebraska. Meeting recently in the State Capitol in Lincoln, Council National Team Leader Michael German briefed Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman on strategies to convene the major cities in Nebraska to create jurisdictional Ten Year Plans. Presently, Omaha is the only Ten Year Plan city in the state. Governor Heineman is also looking at the re- launch of Nebraska's state council - first established in 1994 - to maximize new resources and innovations available. Ed Shada, of Omaha's Bellevue University and Omaha Project Homeless Connect organizer, also joined the meeting to discuss support for future Connect events. Mr. German is shown here at right with the Governor.

The Nebraska Council was originally charged to focus attention on and increase awareness of the needs of homeless families and persons in Nebraska; to encourage the continuity, coordination and cooperation at the state level among state agencies and service providers that deliver services to people who are homeless; to coordinate the development of a statewide comprehensive plan that established a method of periodically counting the number and types of homeless and near-homeless people, the causes of homelessness, and to provide an inventory of agencies and providers of services, as well as establish common terms and definitions for the purposes of data-gathering and program descriptions; and to serve as an advisory body to the Governor on issues of homelessness.

The original commission was composed of approximately 30 members from the Nebraska Crime Commission, the state Departments of Agriculture, Corrections, Economic Development, Education, Health, Labor, Public Institutions, Social Services, and Veterans' Affairs, and additional representatives from homeless shelter providers, homeless assistance service providers, federal, regional, and local agencies, non-profit community-based organizations, organizations advocating on behalf of people who were homeless and near homeless, business and industry, and other interested persons.

In 1998, an Executive Order consolidated the Nebraska Affordable Housing Commission, the Nebraska Interagency Council on the Homeless, and the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Advisory Committee in order to provide for efficiencies in the manner in which these issues were addressed in Nebraska. The combined commission was re-named the Nebraska Commission on Housing and Homelessness (NCHH). In 2003, an Ad Hoc Committee was created to develop a state Ten Year Plan on ending chronic homelessness.

Team Leader German and Ed Shada also met with Omaha Mayor-elect Jim Suttle. In October 2008, Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey and Council Bluffs Mayor Tom Hanafan and Douglas County Commissioner Mary Ann Borgeson unveiled a new 10 Year Plan to end homelessness in their neighboring cities at a regional event at the University of Nebraska, becoming just the second jurisdictional partners to bridge state lines in their mission. "Homes for All" is the result of a collaborative planning process led by Metro Area Continuum of Care for the Homeless (MACCH) and supported by the Compassion Institute of the Midlands. Rev. John Schlegel, President of Creighton University, will lead plan implementation. Mayor Suttle is shown here (center) with Mr. Shada (left) and Mr. German (right).

"Homes For All" includes seven key goal areas: prevention of homelessness, easier access to services, increased availability of housing, strengthened public and political support, elimination of cultural bias and prejudice, specific options for persons experiencing chronic homelessness, and availability of comprehensive data.