Latest news with #AnyPathHome
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rochester council to receive homelessness update Monday
Mar. 9—ROCHESTER — Ongoing efforts to address homelessness in the city will be outlined for the Rochester City Council on Monday. Information will include Rochester Police responses, as well as joint efforts with Olmsted County and nonprofits to address housing needs in an effort to reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness in the community. The presentation comes after the City Council narrowly approved a camping ban on public property in February 2024, and the city and county started working with local nonprofits to start the Any Path Home initiative later that year. According to information provided to the council before Monday's 3:30 p.m. study session in council chambers, the Rochester Police Department has seen a 34% drop in detected camps with the city since the ban. Advocates for people experiencing homelessness say the efforts haven't reduced the number of people needing shelter and housing, Alex Hurlebaus, executive director of The Landing MN, said the organization's day shelter recorded nearly 42,000 visits in 2024, with 1,364 unique individuals seeking services. The police department has reported increased efforts to educate people about available resources, including The Landing, while also encouraging them to access the available community support. The department's defined approach calls for enforcement to happen only if other actions don't work. So far, only one arrest has been made in connection to the camping ban, and charges were dismissed by the city. Information sent to the council ahead of Monday's study session states 861 incidents involving people experiencing homelessness were reported in January, with 223 of the contacts involving the department's 10 most-contacted individuals. Following the police department's presentation by Capt. Jon Turk and Sgt. Greg Jeardeau on Monday, Rochester Assistant Director of Economic Growth Taryn Edens and Olmsted County Housing Director Dave Dunn will provide additional information about people experiencing homelessness in Rochester and programs offering support. "The intent of the presentation is to provide context and hear from the council on the type of participation and support for joining Any Path Home before considering the action of signing on to a formal charter to join Any Path Home via a resolution at a future City Council meeting," Edens wrote in a report to the council. The Any Path Home effort was launched in 2024, before four of the seven current council members were elected. With plans continuing to emerge, the Rochester Area Foundation has signed on to lead efforts to hire a director and help local agencies coordinate work designed to connect people with housing and related supports. The county's Housing and Redevelopment Authority has dedicated $300,000 in initial funding for the effort. Participating agencies in the combined effort will be asked to coordinate efforts to help provide services and share information regarding work being done. The agreement calls for a minimum of two hours of monthly participation by each agency, with no current financial request for support of the efforts. Following Monday's presentations regarding people experiencing homelessness, the City Council is also slated to receive an update regarding Rochester Public Works' Sidewalk Gap Fill Prioritization System, which provides a framework for installing missing pedestrian facilities throughout the city. Meetings scheduled to be held during the week of March 10 include: Rochester —City Council study session, 3:30 p.m. Monday in council chambers of the city-county Government Center, 151 Fourth St. SE. The meeting will livestream at and be available on Spectrum cable channel 180 or 188. —Police Policy Oversight Commission, 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in room 164B of the Development Services and Infrastructure Center, 4001 West River Parkway NW. —Sustainability and Resiliency Commission, 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in room 104 of City Hall, 201 Fourth St. SE.. —Planning and Zoning Commission, 5 p.m. Wednesday in council chambers of the Government Center. —Police Civil Service Commission, 3 p.m. Thursday in room 164 of the Development Services and Infrastructure Center. Olmsted County —Housing and Redevelopment Authority, 4 p.m. Thursday in board chambers of the Government Center.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Any Path Home' push against homelessness continues to take shape
Feb. 4—ROCHESTER — Steps continue to be taken toward a united approach seeking to end homelessness in Olmsted County. A draft of an "Any Path Home" charter is circulating among 10 partner agencies, with plans for the Rochester Area Foundation to serve as the backbone agency for the program. "They will employ the staff for Any Path Home, and formal approval of legal commitments will go to the Rochester Area Foundation Board," Olmsted County Housing Director David Dunn told county commissioners Tuesday. "That's exactly the same setup and structure that exists today for Coalition for Rochester Area Housing, so we thought that would be a good one to emulate." The Any Path effort would also include an advisory board and steering committee populated by participating members, including a county commissioner and Rochester City Council member. Dunn said the proposed design reflects the work of the agencies involved in a yearlong discussion. "All of our partner agencies have been walking through this journey together," he said. While Rochester Area Foundation will play a key role in organizing the program, he said the county will continue in a support function. It has already committed $300,000 through Housing and Redevelopment as startup funding. The county will provide office space alongside the Rochester Community Warming Center. The work continues as Olmsted County agencies reported at least 147 people without stable shelter during the annual count held in late January, according to Olmsted County Associate Housing Director Mary O'Neil. The Any Path Home charter points to a goal of reducing that number drastically, with finding less than three people as the target. Dunn said Any Path Home will attempt to reach that goal by uniting partners with common goals, sharing data and seeking outcomes that connect people with stable housing and services needed to maintain it. "It's really about taking great things that are going on in the community, somewhat in isolation, and getting them coordinated and ultimately building a collective impact model," he said of the effort. In addition to county staff, organizing work on the initial plan included representatives from: * Change Services * Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota * Dorothy Day House * River Valleys Continuum of Care * The Landing MN * The Salvation Army * Three Rivers Community Action * Zumbro Valley Health Center * City of Rochester Dunn said the group of agencies was selected to start the program's focus with efforts to help homeless single adults find housing, but the effort is expected to expand to assist youth and families. The proposed Any Path Home charter points to the inclusion of more members, as long as they are willing to commit to the united effort. Olmsted County Commissioner Laurel Podulke-Smith said the program's goal is impressive, but she raised concerns about the draft of the charter the county board and HRA will be asked to support later this month. "The content of it is not my concern," she said. "It's the way it is written. It's not a strong document, and it needs some editing." Commissioner Dave Senjem agreed the document lacked clarity in some areas, but said that's a matter for the Rochester Area Foundation to address. He said the question county commissioners need to address is whether Olmsted County will continue working with the program. "I think the charter can work itself out," he said, voicing support for the goals outlined. Dunn said the charter is intended to be a starting point to shift work from the collective group of agencies to a single point person hired to lead the program. He said applicants for the director position are being reviewed, adding that the work will help move work forward with a defined vision and focus that has been a challenge with multiple partners leading various aspects of the initial planning. "Coordinating any 10 agencies is a lot of work," he said.
