New 'Housing First' approach to fighting homelessness working in Salisbury, mayor says

Like most cities, Salisbury has struggled for years to deal with chronic homelessness, but its approach was unfocused, with many of the people the city police and fire departments had to deal with ending up either at the hospital emergency room or in jail.

“It’s a challenge that our community, like any other community, is dealing with,” said Mayor Jake Day.

Last year, the city started its Housing First program, which places homeless residents in houses or apartments and then helps them tackle other issues in their lives, such as substance abuse and mental illness.

“People cannot address their problems without a roof over their heads,” said Theo Williams, the city’s homeless and housing manager, during a news conference to announce the success of the program’s first year.

Day said the program has been so successful he is including funding for it in next year’s budget.

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The program has helped people like Rodney McGill who, in a video interview, called homelessness “a bottomless pit.”

 McGill said he developed problems with his hips, which forced him to use up all of his savings.

“I couldn’t work, so at that time I was in a difficult spot,” he said.

Salisbury is the first small city in the U.S. to adopt a Housing First program, which has reduced chronic homelessness by 80 percent to 90 percent in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., Day said.

READ MORE: Housing First in other communities

The city’s program successfully found housing for 10 adults and two children during the past year, and it will expand by three or four more housing vouchers during fiscal 2018, he said.

Funding for the program included $75,000 from the city, plus additional federal money during the current fiscal year. Next year’s budget will include $76,000 in city funding, but in the long run, the program saves the city money, Day said.

“But it’s not just about finances, there’s a humanitarian aspect,” he said.

Most homeless people have some sort of income, such as disability or veterans benefits, and are required to chip in $225 per month toward their rent, he said. The city program pays the rest to landlords who have agreed to accept the vouchers.

The people in the program also get weekly visits from a case manager at the health department, Williams said.

“We want to make sure their problems don’t occur again,” he said.

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There are an estimated 212 homeless people on the Lower Shore, with about 100 of them in Salisbury. The goal is to get help for at least 20 percent of the population by the end of 2018, Day said.

Furnishings for apartments have been donated by the Salvation Army, Olde Towne Deli, HOPE and other community members, and city officials also are seeking donations of small appliances such as microwaves, toasters, TVs and coffee makers. 

“Everything that makes a house a home,” Day said.

There also is a need for cleaning supplies, feminine hygiene products and grooming items such as soap, shampoo and toothpaste.

To make donations, contact Theo Williams at twilliams@salisbury.md or 410-341-9550. Items also may be dropped off at the Salisbury Housing & Community Development Department offices at 207 W. Main St., Suite 102, in downtown Salisbury. 

“Your donations will change the lives of people returning from years of homelessness to lives of dignity,” Day said.

On Twitter @LizHolland5