Okay.

So um welcome everybody.

Um.

So uh we have been talking about pulling together a workshop on homelessness, and uh so this is it.

Bye.

Um, and um it's can't couldn't be more timely or important um because of uh what went on in the legislature this year and what's going on in our community.

So and I I think it's really important that everybody is on the same level playing field, knowing everything that we're doing in this community and all the things that are being considered, um, so that everybody can have their opportunity for input.

So uh I will uh turn it over to our administrator uh to begin.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um so as as you have uh just framed it perfectly.

Um we are um we asked our team um to put together um some presentation materials that will help um at least uh inform for the most part, not just you as a body, but really, you know, for the public.

So they so everyone understands, um, and our municipal partners uh what the county is doing in the space of homelessness, um, particularly um intervention and prevention um services and and certainly um the budget that you all have um appropriated uh for that body of work.

Um, and then we're gonna just walk you through um some of uh the parameters around uh that House Bill thirteen sixty-five that we've been talking about.

Um, and I'm going to turn it over uh to uh both uh Tara Williams and Patrice Paldone.

Uh sorry, that are going to be um I think I just made you either Cuban or his or Italian there.

So um so uh so they can walk us through um the presentation and want to give a thank you to County Attorney's Office as well um for for their um assistance and commentary and finalizing the presentation.

So with that.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Before I turn it over to Patrice, who is our director of our housing option solution and support division, I just want to thank you for this opportunity to talk about the excellent work that we do, our staff, and that we do we did from day one, and that we do every day.

So we really appreciate this opportunity.

Thank you.

So thank you so much.

Um my schedule has changed today, and I do not want to not be here.

I know I was very instrumental and vocal about having this workshop.

And um, I never once would question staff's ability and what we have done, or what this board has done for this issue.

My comments were when I turn on the television.

And I see Robert McKenzie saying we're gonna put the homeless um housing initiatives at the YMCA, or at the corner of Seventh Avenue and uh Sistrum.

This is a consensus board.

I'm not telling you that you don't know.

Um, but when you're out fighting this battle in the community and you're dealing with cities of Fort Lauderdale or other cities, and you know, you hear that I've I've cut a deal with Fort Lauderdale with uh Broward County already.

My thing was um if we are truly doing something other than what we've already directed staff or having budgeted.

Um I don't think that information needs to go out until we all have had a consensus on it.

So that's where I was going with the workshop, not so much to get a presentation on what we had a presentation on before uh during our our uh budget workshops.

We we know what our staff is doing because we direct them.

Um so my thing was when we do, especially with the with the um grandstanding that the city of Fort Lauderdale does.

Um so I want to just make sure that we're on the same page, and I wanted to put that on the record before I walked out of this meeting today.

And it's not that I don't want to be here, but uh something changed with family.

I gotta take them to the airport uh uh after their visit here with me.

So that's what I was trying to accomplish uh when I brought this up.

So I hope I don't offend anyone.

Uh I will be watching, uh listening, I mean, and um so please by all means uh I I just want to say I I I don't think you know that you you don't have to clarify anything, but uh I think the reason we're doing this is because so many things have changed within the framework of what we do and have to do for for homeless people at this point and with 1365 and and other things.

So that's why you know I think it's just important, and we're happy to just and you're all you know, but I got the same you know, response that most of those probably have, you know, not in my backyard, but and where where do we land this?

How do we do it to make sure we do it right?

Right.

Thank you so much for that point of personal previous.

Thank you.

Okay, who's going first?

Good afternoon, everyone.

I would like to echo Tara's comments just to say thank you to the mayor, to you all the commissioners, to the county administrator to have an opportunity to come here today and talk to you about the great work that's being done in Broward.

You should have all received a physical copy of the slides for your convenience.

The objectives for today are to provide an overview of the homeless continuum of care, the range of services that we provide, our provider network and our prevention services, also to provide an overview of the funding of homeless intervention and prevention services and a review of our House Bill 1365 response.

Really, the goal of this presentation is to demonstrate how Broward County is a leader in providing services to the homeless just as a matter of refreshing your recollection.

The housing options solutions and supports division is your division, which is responsible for the administration and provision of community-based programs and services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of homelessness.

The division and all of its partners are guided by the housing first approach, which is a concept that the first and primary need of those experiencing homelessness is to obtain stable housing, and after that, other challenges can be addressed once they've once they've been stably housed.

We operate from a principle that we need stay everyone needs stable, safe place to lay your head at night to get ready for the challenges of the next day.

And we also recognize that housing is a social determinant of health.

So these are all important things that people need in order to be able to tackle the challenges that are barriers to housing.

We have three sections.

We have the housing section, which as you can see encompasses our case management and housing net navigation services, permanent supportive housing, and rapid rehousing.

We have our operations section, which directs client services, is our coordinated entry, our contracts and grants, and also our human rights section, which um handles the investigation of fair housing and discrimination complaints.