By NATE KING
Salina Post
Concerned residents eager to find solutions to end homelessness stood in the back of the Salina Chamber of Commerce Annex last week because every seat in the audience was packed.
The City of Salina invited New Jersey Consultant and Director of Bergen County Housing, Health, and Human Services Center Julia Orlando to share her work and experiences on ending homelessness.
(Click below to watch the presentation)
An expert shares her experience
Orlando ended chronic homelessness in Bergen County, New Jersey, in 2017, making it the first community in the nation to do so. Her story and lessons learned were the topic of her presentation.
Before presenting, Orlando commented on the event turnout.
"I can't believe this room," Orlando said. "This is amazing. There is standing room only. This t tells me that this community is interested in solving the problem. If I come to a partially empty room, maybe the community isn't ready. You are ready."
During the afternoon hours leading up to the forum, Orlando collaborated with community stakeholders, housing providers, Saline County Sheriff's Office Deputies, Salina Police Department Officers and city officials on best practices to end chronic homelessness.
"I'm not here to tell you what to do. I'm here to inspire you. I'm here to tell you there are solutions," Orlando said.
Orlando discussed the importance of community stakeholders working together to address complex issues like homelessness. She compared tackling the issue of homelessness to building a rocket.
"Building a rocket can be very complicated," Orlando said. "But there are blueprints on how to build a rocket, and if you get to the end of it and follow it correctly, guess what happens? You have a rocket."
The main question on most attendees' minds was, "What's the blueprint for addressing homelessness?"
Orlando's answer is to end homelessness by responding to the problem as individual citizens instead of relying on city officials and nonprofits to manage homelessness. She shared the story of a pastor in Bergen County, New Jersey, who asked Orlando for locations of homeless persons so he could distribute blankets on a cold night. She refused to give him.
"Sorry, but no, but I'll tell you what, if you find somebody sleeping outside, I guarantee you they will get into our shelter," Orlando said. "He said 'okay' and brought in a homeless veteran."
Orlando said she immediately asked the pastor if he would be interested in joining a veterans committee.
"He said he didn't know anything about ending homelessness in his community and I said, 'I think you do,'" Orlando said.
A need for expanded low-barrier shelter in Salina
Orlando said distributing supplies throughout a community can help a few people, but at the end of the day, those without a home need a house.
"Managing homelessness are things that feel good and normal to us, like feeding people on the street, giving them some cash," Orlando said. "Ending homelessness is making sure people go back to housing. It really is the only solution."
In 2017, Orlando helped her community reach "functional zero" for chronic homelessness, meaning that more people are exiting housing programs after finding a permanent home than entering.
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Reaching functional zero requires multiple local and state agencies to show collaboration and coordination among many local programs to provide better housing, supportive services and resources.
Orlando encouraged the audience to provide homeless individuals with resources and information to find long-term help instead of buying food or giving cash.
"It's hard to tell people going out into the street and feeding people is not a good thing," Orlando said. "Because it is a really good shot of dopamine, and it feels really terrific, but the person is still outside."
One major step Orlando pointed out to the audience and local community services was the need for low-barrier shelters and housing programs.
Low-barrier shelters and housing programs have few criteria for individuals or families to join a community-led service instead of applying for specific housing opportunities or assistance.
"You need everyone to be able to access shelter," Orlando said. "Not everybody is going to meet your criteria for your program — that's why many of them are still outside."
This idea extends further to struggling clients facing challenges such as drug addiction, exploitation, or other harmful factors.
"You need somewhere for these people because they're not going to get any better not being sheltered," Orlando said.
Orlando said erasing these barriers contributed to reaching functional zero in New Jersey and that Salina can follow the same blueprint for its community.
The City of Salina does have a zero-barrier shelter. Chad Young, director of the Salina Grace Foundation and the Salina Rescue Mission, told the audience about his organizations' facilities and the fact they are zero-barrier.
Finding solutions for every citizen
The Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition oversees the Homeless Management Information System, or HMIS, that tracks homeless citizens and begins the process of joining a list named Coordinated Entry waiting for long-term housing.
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Ashley Arganbright, the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, KDADS, Housing First project coordinator, presented some data to the audience.
Salina reported 152 homeless individuals in town in 2023, with only 42 people on the list for Coordinated Entry. Orlando said better informing the public is essential to getting to functional zero.
"We need to get them housed, we need to get them placed, they're a priority," Arganbright said. "The longer they're out there, it will only get worse."
Orlando said that during her discussions with local community leaders, she recognized that the Salina community cares about addressing homelessness.
"We all care about homelessness, but we struggle with homeless persons," Orlando said. "You [the Salina community] not only want to have people not be homeless, you want to see them have better lives. That's why you have talked about educational programs, vocational programs, and getting people back on the right track. That's an important value."
Salina Mayor Bill Longbine asked about outreach steps to better serve the recovering community in Salina. Orlando shared a story about a man facing many health challenges and how her organization helped him achieve long-term stability through patience and care.
"He had severe alcoholism and severe emphysema. His doctor told him that he wouldn't survive another winter on the street," Orlando said. "We brought him into the shelter. He had a few rough nights. I met with him and very gently said, 'I'm going to keep you no matter what.' We will keep you all winter. You're not going to be outside."