We work together

In 2024, stakeholders from Douglas, Sarpy, and Pottawattamie counties came together to understand the current state of homelessness and to create a coordinated plan to address homelessness over the next several years.

In collaboration with dedicated co-leads from across the system, Threshold CoC is activating a community-wide strategic plan to address homelessness in our area. This work is informed by a comprehensive gap analysis that revealed 16 gaps across societal, system, and service levels that prevent our community from effectively addressing housing insecurity.

With stakeholder input to prioritize solutions, this strategic plan includes:

  • Collective Vision

  • Guiding Principles

  • Strategic Priorities

  • Action Plans

  • Implementation Details

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OUR COLLECTIVE VISION

We envision a compassionate community where everyone has dignified housing and support to achieve stability.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

  • Unwavering Commitment

    We remain steadfast in our commitment to the community-wide plan, persistently moving forward and refusing to revert to the status quo.

  • Honest Transparency

    We are honest and transparent, making sure critical data and information is shared openly to facilitate decision-making and trust across the system.

  • Collaborative Integration

    We foster positive collaboration within and across systems through shared objectives and outcomes to provide coordinated and holistic support.

  • Person-centered Approach

    We prioritize individuals’ needs and experiences, ensuring that our actions and initiatives are trauma-informed and guided by compassion, dignity, and respect.

  • Open-minded Innovation

    We embrace innovation by being receptive to new ideas and approaches, breaking free from conventional methods to achieve better outcomes.

  • Focused Adaptability

    We embrace adaptability, enabling us to adjust and respond effectively to changes as they arise, while also staying accountable to our overarching objectives.

STRATEGY & APPROACH

Align service provider efforts around a community-wide plan to address homelessness and create a governance structure across the Continuum of Care that enables decision-making and unifies efforts to address the community’s needs related to homelessness through a common approach and clear roles.

  • The problem we’re trying to solve: The system lacks alignment in how they address homelessness and would benefit from unifying around a shared vision, roadmap, approach, and understanding of roles.

    1. Select a Strategic Plan Coordinator to support plan dissemination, implementation, and monitoring.

    2. Work to obtain funding to support plan dissemination, implementation, and monitoring.

    3. Identify members of the Strategy and Approach workgroup and schedule recurring meetings.

    4. Develop a decision-making process and governance structure to enact the plan and guide the CoC.

    5. Disseminate gap analysis and strategic plan information via a website, emails, and information sessions.

    6. Set up workgroups for the priority areas (identify members, schedule meetings, finalize action plans).

    7. Create a facilitation toolkit to be used by workgroups throughout implementation (agendas, notes, etc.).

    8. Develop and share regular progress reports to build momentum, create alignment, and track progress.

    • Workgroup Meeting Attendance

    • Implementation Step Completion

    • Strategic Plan Progress

    • System Alignment and Unification

SYSTEM COORDINATION

Design and implement a unifying system infrastructure, inclusive of a common nomenclature, data and reporting, service inventory, and central access point, that enables effective and efficient coordination both within and outside the homeless service system, thereby reducing organizational silos and improving outcomes.

  • The problem we’re trying to solve: The system is large, complex, and lacks the infrastructure needed for coordination to take place. Without this infrastructure, silos pop up and people fall through the cracks.

    1. Determine the necessary components for building a unifying system infrastructure.

    2. Develop detailed action plans for building and implementing each infrastructure component.

    3. Build a common nomenclature for the system consisting of key terms, definitions, and parameters.

    4. Design a data optimization plan outlining data collection, storage, analysis, and reporting processes.

    5. Create a service inventory (providers, services, capacity, bed availability) and establish a way to offer accurate real-time reporting.

    6. Research and come to consensus on the best way to implement a central access point or no-wrong-door approach within the system.

    7. Share new and/or updated infrastructure components with stakeholders across the community.

    8. Implement infrastructure components in accordance with action plans and prior steps.

    9. Monitor implementation and usage of infrastructure components to enable continuous improvement.

    • Workgroup Meeting Attendance

    • Implementation Step Completion

    • CoC Coordination

    • System Performance Outcomes

PREVENTION SERVICES

Create and implement a shared prevention model across the homeless service system, establish protocols for documenting prevention efforts in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), and expand prevention services that prevent people from losing housing.

  • The problem we’re trying to solve: Prevention services with flexible funding have been proven to be cost-effective and impactful, but funding to support these services is limited due to concerns about misuse of funds.

    1. Create a shared definition of homelessness prevention to be used across the CoC.

    2. Conduct research and gather information on successful prevention models used in other communities.

    3. Select a prevention model to implement across the CoC and refine it as needed to meet community needs.

    4. Partner with ICA to establish processes and protocols for documenting prevention activities in HMIS.

    5. Identify and document existing prevention resources, programs, and services across the community.

    6. Determine where additional prevention services are needed and what level of expansion is required.

    7. Build community engagement and secure additional funding for prevention services as needed.

    8. Conduct trainings and work to implement the shared prevention model and documentation protocols.

    9. Expand prevention services in the identified areas (rental assistance, flexible financial assistance, etc.).

    10. Conduct continuous monitoring of prevention data and adjust the approach and processes as necessary.

    • Workgroup Meeting Attendance

    • Implementation Step Completion

    • Number of People Successfully Diverted

    • Number of People Experiencing

    • Homelessness

HOUSING OPTIONS

Increase the availability of housing stability case management and short-term housing programs while expanding access to supportive and long-term housing for people with mental health and substance use conditions, as well as older adults who cannot care for themselves.

  • The problem we’re trying to solve: There are not enough supportive housing or long-term care options to adequately meet the needs of our community. Many people who need more support find themselves waiting for months or even years to be housed.

    1. Identify current housing providers and document housing inventory (bed counts, bed types, etc.).

    2. Review available data to estimate the number of RRH beds and short-term housing subsidies needed.

    3. Review available data to estimate the types and amounts of short-term and long-term housing options needed to meet the need in the community.

    4. Acquire funding to increase the availability of short-term and long-term housing options.

    5. Work to address barriers and improve housing accessibility across the community.

    6. Explore the creation of a centralized housing team and/or expansion of housing stability case management to facilitate timely and appropriate placements.

    7. Use exploration findings to design and implement an effective approach to housing placements via a housing team or case management.

    8. Conduct continuous monitoring of housing utilization and adjust the approach and processes as necessary.

    • Workgroup Meeting Attendance

    • Implementation Step Completion

    • Housing Capacity (Filled vs. Open Beds)

    • Average Time for Housing Placement

SUPPORTIVE SERVICES

Establish partnerships with service providers and other organizations outside the homeless service system to expand access to free or low-cost supportive services, including mental healthcare, medical care, substance use treatment, and transportation.

  • The problem we’re trying to solve: People experiencing homelessness often require a variety of supportive services. The lack of effective mental health, substance use, and transportation services in our community is a major barrier that prevents people from gaining stability.

    1. Create an inventory of supportive service payers and providers (healthcare, substance use, transportation, etc.).

    2. Identify barriers to accessing supportive services (awareness, availability, insurance, cost, etc.).

    3. Research models for ensuring continuity of supportive services before, during, and after street homelessness, shelter care, and short-term housing.

    4. Develop and implement a plan for building partnerships with supportive service organizations.

    5. Explore and acquire funding to address barriers and increase access to supportive services.

    6. Work with Medicaid, Medicare, DHHS, FQHCs, and hospital systems to ensure access to physical, mental, and substance use care.

    7. Work with transportation agencies to connect folks experiencing homelessness with transportation.

    8. Build and implement a system for tracking supportive service providers, availability, and referrals.

    9. Create a list of community resources and conduct outreach and resource fairs to inform the community.

    10. Conduct continuous monitoring of service utilization and adjust the approach and processes as necessary.

    • Workgroup Meeting Attendance

    • Implementation Step Completion

    • Number of People Connected to Services

    • Returns to Homelessness