The City of Fort Wayne is requesting proposals from area nonprofits to operate a Homeless Services Center with comprehensive services to fill gaps in Allen County.
The center will offer two specific programs; a 24-7 low-barrier shelter for men and women and safe, legal parking spaces for people living in their vehicles.
Homeless services manager Amanda Fall said she knows of at least 47 separate households living in cars, rather than congregate shelters.
“They don’t have locked areas for their belongings," she said. "And so a lot of people just feel safer if they actually still have a car, to be able to stay in that car.”
Last month, Fall presented the city’s ongoing efforts to address homelessness to Fort Wayne City Council. She said the center is designed to be a pipeline to permanent housing.
The city says proposals should include how operators would do the following:
- Operate a shelter that removes barriers to entry such as sobriety, income or criminal history (within legal constraints) and avoids punitive bans when possible.
- Enroll clients or update records in the coordinated entry assessment system so information can be shared with other service providers and accurate records can be used to monitor individual and system-wide progress.
- Limit disturbances to surrounding neighborhoods.
- Prioritize housing and development of a stability plan for all clients.
- Ensure safety for clients, staff, volunteers and the community with clear security policies and protocols.
The deadline to submit proposals is 5 p.m. on December 5th.
