Agenda - Planning Commission - 03/04/2010

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A Sound Approach to Regulating Social Service.Facilities By Margaret Wuerstle, AICP . The real and perceived impacts of social service facilities on America's neighborhoods have been a controversial topic .o~ discussion in many jurisdictions across the country. Social service uses such as homeless shelters, halfway houses, supportive hous- ing, and soup kitchens have a clear social value and usefulness. They can also have undeniable adverse impacts on residential and business environments. The challenge confronting government leaders is how to provide humane, dignified, and comprehen- sive solutions to poverty and homelessness while ensuring healthy urban neighborhoods for everyone. (Lamb and Bachrach, 2001). The rationale was based on the concepts that the mentally ill would live better live~ in community-based care than they could under state hospital . conditions, and that such care would be more therapeutic and more cost-effective than hospital-based care. Studies indicate that the expectations of deinstitutionalization have hot been achieved. Consequently, a new generation of deinstitutionalized persons with severe mental illness is homeless and creat- ing significant challenges to service .provide"rs and communities (Lamb and Bachrach, 2001). Federal law defines a homeless per- sonas one who. "lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. . . and has a primary night residence that is: (a) 9 super- vised publicly or privately operated shelter. UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUES OF REGULATING SOCIAL SERVICE FACILITIES Deinstitutionalization refers to "the replace- ment of long:stay psychiatric hospitals with smaller, less isolated, community-based al- ternatives for the care of mentally ill people" . Homej.ddress_oCAILParL2' . .. ArresLAddressesjor_217W121h_Pl2" c::J N;ighborhqod_BoundarIes . ~ streets "Home address gIven by those. llffesled for Part 2 crimes In 2008 -Address of arrest for allU,ose giving their address as 217 W. 12th st; In 2008 78 . . (b) an institution that provides temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; or (c) a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings" lI'PA Policy Guide on Homelessness, 2(03). Additionally, the chronically homeless ar,e individuals that typically have mental illness or substance abuse issues in addition to extreme poverty, and as a consequence, these individuals experience long-tenm home- lessness (lamb and Bachrach, 20Ih). According to a recent National Coalition . for the Homeless survey of state and local homeless coalitions and service providers, 49 percent of all respondents indicated that more than 10 percent of their clients were homeless due to aforeclosure (Downing et aI, 2009). Consequently, social service previders are expanding their services, and religious' in.stitutions are now providing much more than worship services. A2003 point-in-time count cond~cted in Cincinnati established the benchmarK on chronically homeless as 5~1 percent of hOmeless individuals on any given night. Further benchmarks have now established that 58 percent of the chronically homeless have substam:e abuse issues; 33 percent have mental health problems; and 21 p.ercent may be dual-diagnosed with substance abuse and mental health issues (Cincinnati Consolidated Plan, 2005-2009). One can reasonably assume that individuals with alcohol and substance addictions or un- treated mental illness are prone to unpredict- able behaviors. It is the o~currence ofthese erratic, offensive,;and sometimes dangerous behaviors that have created the concerns. reported by n.eighborhood residents. . Religious irtstifutions have expanded their ministries in respo-nse to the needs of their congregations and provide emergency shelters, soup kitchens, and even car repair services for needy individuals. The Federal . Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Per-. ZONINGPRACTICE .1.10 AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION Ipage 2