City Releases Comprehensive Study on Homelessness

Report Outlines Challenges, Offers Recommendations for Improvement

NEW BEDFORD – Mayor Jon Mitchell is releasing a study the City commissioned to analyze how it could improve its response to homelessness.

The comprehensive study authored by the Technical Assistance Collaborative, a leading consulting firm on human services, health care and homelessness, highlights the progress the City has made in addressing homelessness, and makes strategic recommendations to improve the region’s response and expand best practices.

“Homelessness is a complex and ever-evolving challenge, and we need to constantly strive to update and improve our approach to helping those who experience it,” Mayor Mitchell said. “That is why we commissioned this expert report, which both validates many of our current practices, but also offers valuable new strategies that will enable us to raise our game, so that our fellow residents can have a better chance to get their lives back on track.”

The TAC assessment offers several recommendations aimed at strengthening the City’s response to homelessness:

Diversify Housing and Services

  • Expand permanent supportive housing supply for individuals with high service needs.
  • Leverage Medicaid, medical respite, and hospital partnerships.
  • Expand rapid rehousing and transitional care models to meet a wider range of housing needs.
  • Shift shelter and emergency service models to non-congregate, service-rich programming.
  • Provide flexible financial assistance to prevent homelessness or quickly resolve a housing crisis.

Use Policy Levers to Maximize Housing Resources

  • Enforce landlord requirements and implement incentives.
  • Leverage the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) for housing retention among survivors.
  • Partner with the Housing Authorities to set homeless preferences.
  • Target affordable housing development at all income levels, with set-asides for people exiting homelessness and a pipeline of targeted permanent supportive housing.

Invest in the Service Provider Workforce

  • Provide the existing workforce with best practice training and tools.
  • Diversify and build leadership capacity among youth, people with lived experience, and agency partners.
  • Shift success measures to center actions within staff control.

Strengthen Continuum of Care Governance

  • Deepen partnership with people who are now experiencing or have formerly experienced homelessness.
  • Use data to help inform decision-making and drive resources.
  • Develop and dedicate resources to CoC leadership and initiatives.

TAC also suggested taking a regional approach to homelessness with improved coordination across all of Bristol County, with the report recommending establishing a regional service center within Bristol County to act as a centralized hub.

Recently, New Bedford’s Homeless Services Provider Network merged with the Greater Bristol County-Attleboro-Taunton Coalition to End Homelessness. Together as the new Bristol County Continuum of Care, the collaboration will focus on regional solutions to homelessness and lead to more efficient use of federal resources on the issue.

While the City’s Office of Housing and Community Development is at the forefront of the collaboration effort, OCHD Director Joshua Amaral said the new organization is truly a team effort across Bristol County.

“The report underscores the importance of bringing partners together from across the region, including service providers, developers, hospitals, law enforcement, and those with lived experience of homelessness themselves, to create a more comprehensive system that responds to the diverse needs in our cities and towns,” he said. “The Continuum is a true partnership, and we can pool resources, improve services and provide more consistent and equitable support to help those in need by working together.”

Visit bristolcountycoc.com for more information on the Bristol County Continuum of Care.