Longmont Housing Opportunities Team

The Longmont Housing Opportunities Team (LHOT) is a collaborative partnership working to end homelessness, with over 50 members representing government, social services, shelters, housing providers, domestic violence agencies, police, mental health, school district, banks, youth services, churches, senior services, businesses, recovery programs, and private individuals.

For more information please visit: LHOTonline.org

Mission
The mission of the Longmont Housing Opportunities Team is to eliminate homelessness in the Longmont area by implementing a Housing First plan, supportive services and other housing activities in the community to maximize the effectiveness of the agencies and mobilizing community residents that assist the homeless.

History
Addressing our extreme increases in homelessness is of critical concern to our community. A group of community service providers started meeting in 2000 to ensure that services for the homeless were not being duplicated and to conduct an annual Point-In-Time survey. The community determined at a Retreat on the Homeless held in November, 2003, that only by coming together could we affect a solution to this issue. As a result of the retreat, LHOT’s mission and membership were expanded to reflect an acknowledgement that the issue of homelessness is a community-wide one impacting not only city government, but non-profit service providers as well as local businesses and the faith
community. The LHOT group has been meeting at least monthly since 2003, has completed many projects and has obtained funding for ongoing services and projects.

Goals

Implement a Housing First approach that helps people back into permanent housing.
Design and implement a homelessness management information system.
Prepare an emergency homeless prevention program that will provide assistance to prevent eviction and homelessness.
Establish a system to place people being released from public institutions into stable housing.
Implement an outreach and engagement system designed to reduce housing and service barriers.
Reduce time people spend in shelter and transitional housing.
Provide rapid access to permanent supportive services and mainstream programs.
Ensure a sufficient supply of permanent supportive housing.
Strengthen community connections through linkages to employment, community resources and benefits.
Ensure that all segments of the community receive comprehensive education regarding homelessness and available services.

Plan to End Homelessness in Longmont

Homelessness in Longmont - 2005 Statistical Information (Adobe pdf 116KB)

Performance and Outcomes
The LHOT group has continued to grow and adapt since it was first formed in 2000. Attendance at monthly meetings remains constant and new agencies and individuals join often.

Housing First Program
LHOT designed a Housing First Program to house 25 families over the next 24 months. All will receive supportive services on a 24/7 basis. The families have been selected and all are now in housing. With their Case Managers, they have prepared and are at work on a Family Improvement Plan. A mentoring program is being started to support the families.

In addition, LHOT, in collaboration with the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless is expanding the Housing First program to a countywide one that serves individuals. A grant was awarded that will provide housing for up to 22 persons, 10 of whom are from Longmont.

The Longmont Housing Authority is master leasing 10 studio units at the Briarwood Apartments to agencies that serve the homeless. They then rent the units to persons who are homeless on a short-term or long-term basis. Case management of the residents is provided by the leasing agency.

Day Shelter
After research and design by LHOT, a Day Shelter was opened in partnership with Longmont’s OUR Center. Since opening on June 6, 2005, the Day Shelter has served 720 unduplicated Longmont clients providing emergency food, showers, laundry, personal care items, clothing, prescriptions, glasses, tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, towels, identification and birth certificates, mail, and voice mail service. Salud Clinic’s Mobile Unit screened 300 persons who are now receiving follow up treatment at Salud Clinic. Birth certificates and photo id’s are being obtained which enable these persons to apply for jobs and benefits where before they could not. 50% are now receiving benefits they are entitled to, 20% have secured permanent housing and 25% have obtained employment.

First Response
Convened a focus group on the “visibly homeless,” leading to a partnership with Boulder County Cares program to provide outreach to the “street” homeless during bad weather. The HOPE group (Homeless Outreach Providing Encouragement) is also providing this service. Several “warming centers” will be in operation this winter if severe weather conditions exist.

Community education/outreach

Developed a resource pamphlet to assist the homeless in accessing services and to provide information to the community about services for the homeless and nearly homeless.
Sponsored several Hunger & Homeless Awareness Events which attracted over 400 persons. The authors of “Under the Overpass” and “Seven Steps to Success I Learned from Homeless People” were brought in to speak to the community. The events were taped by the local public access channel which broadcasts the events periodically. The events were also made into a CD and are available for showings to church groups, Rotaries, and other interested community groups.
Supported the Longmont Youth Council’s Art Contest to select a piece for a poster to hold Resource Cards specifically for homeless youth.
Launched “Community Cares” packages providing gift cards, bus tokens, etc. , a non-monetary way for the public to help the homeless.

For more information on the Longmont Housing Opportunities Team contact:

Kathy Fedler at 303-651-8736 – kathy.fedler@ci.longmont.co.us
or
Edwina Salazar at 303-772-5529 – Edwina@ourcenter.org

or visit LHOTonline.org