- The North Central Florida Continuum of Care Leadership Council released a strategic plan through 2029 to reduce homelessness and improve regional response.
- The plan prioritizes ending veteran homelessness, expanding shelter and housing, improving case management, and tracking homelessness outcomes.
The North Central Florida Continuum of Care Leadership Council (NCFCOC) recently released its strategic plan through 2029, establishing a shared roadmap to reduce homelessness and improve the region’s response to people in need.
According to an NCFCOC release, the 18-member Leadership Council, made up of appointed and elected representatives, approved the plan Sept. 3. The plan incorporates feedback from community stakeholders, service providers, and participants in town halls and surveys. It was developed in partnership with the Florida Housing Coalition.
Federal and state law require Continuums of Care to maintain a coordinated plan for addressing homelessness. The strategic plan will help guide how the Continuum of Care prioritizes resources, directs funding opportunities and coordinates partnerships.
The plan focuses on practical improvements intended to prevent homelessness, shorten the time people remain homeless and connect more people with housing and other resources.
Priorities through 2029 include:
- Ending veteran homelessness.
- Expanding emergency shelter.
- Expanding supportive housing.
- Improving case management.
- Strengthening law enforcement partnerships.
- Making services easier to navigate.
- Making it easier to find housing.
- Helping people get housed faster.
- Preventing family homelessness earlier.
The Continuum of Care will measure progress by tracking whether people spend less time homeless, fewer people return to homelessness after being housed, fewer people experience homelessness for the first time, more people increase their income, overall homelessness declines and more people successfully move into and remain in permanent housing.
The strategic plan provides a common direction for governments, nonprofit organizations, housing partners, first responders and other community stakeholders throughout North Central Florida.
“Our actions cannot simply manage homelessness. Every strategy, resource, and partnership must move us toward ending it by helping people get home faster and remain housed,” said Jacob Torner, vice president of programs for TaskForce for Ending Homelessness, in the release. “This plan gives North Central Florida a focused direction, measurable goals, and clear priorities for getting there.”
A copy of the strategic plan is available at www.keystohome.org.