Task Force Assessing Homelessness

TYLER — The task force launched by Mayor Barbara Bass to take a close look at homelessness in the City of Tyler held its first meeting on Nov. 8. The Homeless Task Force is chaired by City Council member Martin Heines and, according to city officials, comprises primary stakeholders who provide services to the homeless.The Task Force is examining the current state of homelessness in Tyler to determine what services are currently offered, who is providing those services, and if there are gaps in services. Task Force members are reviewing reports that attempt to measure how many homeless there are in Tyler as well as visiting facilities and meeting one-on-one with agencies who provide services to the homeless.

“There is a lot of information that needs to be assessed during this process,” said Heines. “There are so many groups offering assistance to the homeless that it is important to piece together where the gaps in services may be.” Also important to the Task Force, says Heines, was arriving on a shared definition of homelessness. Some think of homelessness as just those people who actually are sleeping without shelter. However, other definitions include people who are living in shelters or transitional housing.

“One of the biggest challenges is determining what services are available and where they are,” added Heines. “I am not surprised that there are so many groups that are trying to help their fellow Tylerites who are in need because Tyler is such a giving community. However, I believe we can do a better job of communicating where these services are available as well as identifying if there are unmet needs.”

The Task Force plans to expand to include additional stakeholders that were identified during the first meeting. The task force will meet again in early December with a goal of concluding its assessment and providing recommendations to the City Council by the end of January 2012.