Collaboratory for Community Support-Publications

The Toledo Project for a
Systems Approach to Homelessness

The Collaboratory is supporting the Toledo community in creating a comprehensive, coordinated and inclusive approach to the problems of homelessness. More information about this project is provided below.

A summary of the final report of recommendations is now available.

All scheduled committee meetings for this project have now taken place.

What is a "systems approach" to homelessness?
No single organization can solve the problems of homelessness for the families and individuals affected or for our communities. Addressing or eliminating homelessness requires an array of services, provided in an integrated manner.

But more than agency collaboration, a “systems approach” to homelessness examines the interaction among the total system of activities: the needs of clients, the work of service providers, the requirements of funders, the regulations of government, the roles of board members, and so on. A systems approach asks all of these participants to focus on the ideal design of a comprehensive solution to homelessness that puts the goals of the community ahead of individual, organizational, or sectoral goals.

The complexity of social problems, the demand for measurable improvements, and the changing roles of nonprofits, government and businesses today not only require but also empower local communities to adopt a systems approach to solving problems such as homelessness.

Why Toledo? Why now?
The Toledo City Council has taken the initiative to pass Ordinance 152-99, which mandates the development of an Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on Homelessness with the purpose of “advising and recommending the best practice of a comprehensive, coordinated and inclusive approach for homeless providers and funders of homeless services to maximize and leverage existing resources so as to strategically address the problems of homelessness in the City of Toledo.”

The time is now to undertake this initiative, because the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) funding process gives higher priority to those communities that pursue a system-wide process for addressing homelessness (through HUD’s “Continuum of Care”). At the same time, federal welfare reform efforts threaten to exacerbate the problem of homelessness in Toledo. This trend is already beginning to occur nationwide, as close to 40% of current shelter clients are families with children.

If Toledo is to continue to secure resources for its homelessness service system, and meet the community’s needs, all those concerned must understand the way the system is structured and the way that an “ideal” system would be designed and implemented. The City of Toledo has asked The Collaboratory for Community Support--a nonprofit organization that helps communities understand and improve their social service systems—to manage this effort.

How will we do this?
The Ad Hoc Committee on Homelessness will be comprised of key leaders and decision makers in Toledo who are committed to improving the homelessness system on behalf of clients and the community. This Ad Hoc Committee will hear testimony and information from three distinct groups:

Clients
Providers
Funders

Clients will meet in a focus group to provide their perspectives. The other groups, Providers and Funders, will be organized as task forces. Each task force will provide valuable information to the Ad Hoc Committee about the current system of services in Toledo, a design for an ideal system, and the new structures and roles that will be required to implement the ideal system. The task forces will prepare this information through facilitated focus groups and meetings, with research and other support provided by The Collaboratory.

A final report of recommendations will be submitted to the Ad Hoc Committee, which will then report back to the City of Toledo on creating a new, comprehensive, coordinated approach to homelessness services.

How can I get involved?
If you live or work in the Toledo area, this process needs your input. Whether you are a service provider, a funder, a board member, a policy maker, a client, or simply a concerned citizen, the perspective and contribution that you have to offer will benefit the Toledo community as a whole. Throughout the course of developing a comprehensive system of homelessness services, you will be notified of ongoing opportunities to participate.

Questions?
Bringing experiences in community change, systems design and collaboration, the Collaboratory is here to fully engage the community in an inclusive and structured process for accomplishing these tasks. If you have questions or comments to share, we encourage you to contact us at The Collaboratory any time. Please call, e-mail or mail us:

The Collaboratory for Community Support
7423 Hickory Ridge Drive
Ypsilanti, MI 48197-9487
Phone: 734-623-4952
www.thecollaboratory.us
e-mail: JCRubicon@aol.com

This page last updated 10/15/99.

The Toledo Project for a Systems Approach to Homelessness

The Toledo Project for a
Systems Approach to Homelessness