History

President Bush has called upon communities throughout the nation to develop strategic plans to end chronic homelessness in ten years. This initiative has received bipartisan support and has been endorsed by both the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National Association of Counties. Special federal funding, through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Veterans Administration has and will continue to be made available to communities that have successfully implemented 10-year plans to end chronic homelessness. In addition, communities that presently receive HUD funding for homeless programs have been advised that HUD grants in future years will be determined, at least in part, by the efficacy and success of their 10-year plans.

On July 25, 2004 a meeting was held with representatives from Pinellas County, and the Cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater to discuss how to begin the process of developing a 10-year plan. Several points were discussed and are detailed in the following bullets:

• The attendees agreed that a countywide 10-year plan would be the most effective way to address homelessness, and attendees sought and secured support from local governing bodies to proceed with a countywide strategic planning process.
• The attendees recognized that participation by elected officials from Pinellas County, the City of St. Petersburg, the City of Clearwater, the City of Largo and other municipalities would be necessary to the success of the planning process and adoption of the plan by each jurisdiction.
• The County has hired a consultant to study the issue of homelessness through a 10- month research process. Much of the research and deliverables that the consultant will be providing can be utilized and incorporated in the development of the 10-year plan.
• The result of the 10-month research process will identify areas for improvement in the delivery of homeless services, explore best practices, create a model for coordination through which federal dollars will be disbursed and which can identify and secure new funding sources.
• Creation of the HUD required 10-year plan will incorporate the outcomes and recommendations of the 10-month research process and identify implementation strategies.

Two years after what began as a discussion between Pinellas County and the City of St. Petersburg on the benefits of working on homelessness as a county-wide issue the Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness in Pinellas County was completed. The Plan contains dozens of action steps organized into four major strategies, namely: oversight and evaluation, policy and funding, coordination and partnership and continuum of services. The Plan is designed to be implemented by the community as a whole, with roles for government, business, education, service providers, faith-based organizations and other community groups. No one group is expected to do it all.

The Homeless Leadership Network (HLN) was created from the Homeless Policy Group to oversee the implementation of the Ten-Year Plan's strategies, and to ensure accountability in and evaluation of the homeless services system in Pinellas County. On March 3, 2006, the local government entitities involved in the HLN signed an Interlocal Agreement concerning their participation.