Shelter Planning Task Force
Regular MeetingPortland, ME · May 13, 2015
Minutes
Shelter Planning Task Force
May 13, 2015
Meeting Notes
Attendees:
Donna Yellen Preble Street Sean Kerwin Bayside Neighborhood Assn
Nicole Evans United Way Mike Tarpinian Opportunity Alliance
Cullen Ryan Community Housing of Dawn Stiles City of Portland, Health &
Maine Human Services Dept
Bill Higgins Homeless Voices for Justice Jim Devine HVJ and Region 1 Homeless
Council
Mark Swann Preble Street Dana Totman Avesta Housing
Jim Hanley Chamber of Commerce Angela Giordano City of Portland, Oxford Street
Shelter
Jenny Stasio Region 1 Homeless Council Bob Fowler Milestone
Kim Cook Off-peninsula Rob Parritt MaineHousing
Peter Driscoll Amistad Julie Sullivan Staff to the Task Force, City of
Portland
Norm Maze Shalom House
1. Welcome, (re-)introductions, updates
2. Expenses and revenue overview – Oxford Street Shelter
City HHS Department Head Dawn Stiles reviewed the Oxford Street Shelter (OSS) and Family
Shelter (FS) Fiscal Year 16 proposed budget and FY13-FY16 GA and Shelter expense and
revenue data (attached)
Where does the additional $350,000 that the City has proposed come from?
o UPDATE: $300,000 for transitional services comes from the City general fund. About
$50,000 comes from an anonymous donor to Wayside for asylum seekers/those
losing eligibility for other food support.
What is the cost per bed night? FY13 OSS had 84,898 bed nights including overflow, for a
cost per bed night of $31.11
Would like to see shelter funding trend for 5 years prior; what happened between FY13 and
FY14
Would like to see shelter demographics, bed night usage specifically for OSS, with costs
broken out by OSS, Preble Street overflow, and warming center(s)
3. Programmatic overview – Preble Street
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Preble Street Chief Program Officer Donna Yellen provided extensive information on Preble
Street’s history and broad scope of services
Services specifically related to homeless adults and shelter include:
o Serving as a mailing address
o Providing hygiene items, outerwear, bathrooms, showers, laundry, phone
o OK to be there under the influence and untreated mental illness – provide a safe and
respectful place
o Staff works to engage clients into case management, which can take years
o 3 meals/day, every day, all year
o Case work services – housing, basic needs, bus passes, benefit programs, referrals
o Clinical intervention services – clients with severe and persistent mental illness
without mainstream resources and the homeless
o Collaborating with the City on veterans’ housing
o New collaboration with Maine Medical Center called Homeless Health Partners –
MMC funds two full-time medical case managers on site
o Homeless Voices for Justice advocacy
4. Expenses and revenue overview – Preble Street
Preble Street Executive Director Mark Swann reviewed their FY15 budget (attached)
5. Wrap up and next meeting
Weds 5/27, 9-11 a.m., City Hall, rm 24
o Milestone adult emergency shelter programmatic and financial overview (Bob
Fowler, <20 minutes including Q&A)
o Long-term stayer approach (Cullen Ryan, <20 minutes including Q&A)
o What works well – eg, what from current system should we keep doing – and what
would we like to see changed (<40 minutes)
o Best practice models to be evaluated; materials from Task Force to Prevent and
End Homelessness to review (<35 minutes)
o Discuss tour of shelters (<5 minutes)
Web site: www.portlandmaine.gov/1512/Shelter-Planning-Task-Force
o User name: taskforce
o Password: portland15
Julie Sullivan
Acting Chief of Staff
207.756.8363
jas@portlandmaine.gov
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Packet
Shelter Planning Task Force
May 13, 2015
9 - 11 am
AGENDA
1. Welcome, (re-)introductions and updates 9:00-9:15
2. Expenses and revenue overview 9:15-9:45
a. Oxford Street Shelter
b. Preble Street
c. Milestone
3. What works well with current adult emergency
shelter practices and what should change 9:45-10:15
4. Long-term stayer approach (Cullen Ryan, CHOM) 10:15-10:30
5. Discussion around best practice review 10:30-10:50
6. Shelter tour, wrap up and next meeting 10:50-11:00
389 Congress Street / Portland, ME 04101 / www.portlandmaine.gov / tel. 207•756•8363 / tty. 207•874•8936 / fax. 207•874•8669
Shelter Planning Task Force
5/11/15
Task Timeframe
I. Organizational
A. Create project plan with clearly defined scope and principles for Julie Apr 3
decision-making
1. Proposed scope: The Shelter Planning Task Force is charged Julie, with
with recommending a model of emergency shelter services for approval from
adults that is feasible within available funding sources, uses Sheila
resources as efficiently and effectively as possible, and serves in
the best interest of people experiencing homelessness and the
city as a whole.
2. Proposed decision-making principles: The task force will strive Julie, with
for consensus at each decision point and when finalizing the approval from
recommendations. When consensus cannot be achieved, Task Force at first
majority and minority stances (5 people may constitute a meeting
minority stance) will both be noted. Individuals may also
append a minority stance to the final recommendations. Final
decisions regarding implementation rest with the City Council.
B. Determine project stakeholders and technical experts Julie, with Apr 3
approval from
Sheila and Dawn
1. Proposed stakeholders:
a. Kimberly Cook, off-peninsula rep, Deering Center
b. Peter Driscoll, Amistad
c. Nicole Evans, United Way of Greater Portland
d. Bob Fowler, Milestone Foundation
e. Jim Hanley, Chamber of Commerce rep
f. Angela Havlin, City of Portland, Oxford St Shelter Director
g. Bill Higgins, Homeless Voices for Justice
h. Sean Kerwin, Bayside Neighborhood Association
i. Dave MacLean, City of Portland, Social Services Div Director
j. Norman Maze, Shalom House
k. Tom McLaughlin, UNE
l. Cindy Namer, MaineHousing
m. Claude Rwaganje, refugee communities
n. Cullen Ryan, CHOM
o. Melissa Skahan, Mercy Hospital
p. Jenny Stasio, Co-Chair, Region 1 Homeless Council
q. Dawn Stiles, City of Portland, HHS Dept Director
r. Mark Swann, Preble Street
s. Mike Tarpinian, Opportunity Alliance
t. Dana Totman, Avesta
u. Dory Waxman
2. Proposed technical experts: COP Zoning, COP Police, COP Fire,
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Task Timeframe
HUD
C. Set target deadline for presentation to PSHHS Committee: Julie, with Apr 3
September 8, 2015 approval from
Sheila and
Councilor
Suslovic
II. Services, structure and finances
A. Assess current practices
1. Detail what services are provided at OSS, and what services are Angela Havlin, Apr 29
provided through linkages with other agencies Mark Swann, Bob
Fowler
2. Analyze what works well and what would need to change Task Force May 13
(added, modified, removed) among these services
3. Review revenue and expenses for OSS, relevant programming Angela, Mark, May 13
from Preble Street and Milestone Bob
B. Review relevant best practices Task Force
1. Identify 3-5 similar municipalities with publicly- or privately-run May 13
adult emergency shelters; lists from MeSHA, HUD
2. Examine their structure, scope of services, funding, governance May 27
3. Determine which models/individual practices we may want to May 27
incorporate
C. Draft structure, scope of services and budget for shelter Task Force
1. What services in addition to shelter should be provided on-site June 10
2. What services should be provided via linkages June 10
3. How many clients are to be served June 10
4. What kind of staffing – numbers, qualifications – should the June 10
shelter have June 10
5. What eligibility would shelter clients need to meet June 24
6. Would there be a cap on the number of clients per night, and if June 24
so, what happens when that cap is reached
7. What is the cost of the shelter and desired services June 24
III. Finances July 8
A. Examine all available sources of funding
B. Assess requirements of various funders
C. Determine conservative estimate of funding available
IV. Location July 22
A. Desired characteristics
B. Options
V. Shelter operator Aug 12
A. Desired characteristics
B. Options
VI. Develop recommendations Aug 26
VII. Present to PSHHS Sept 8
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