Community Leaders Discuss Finding Solutions To End Homelessness

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — The conference entitled “The Pulse of Homelessness” was sponsored by the Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo Chamber of Commerce. Panelists discussed how the community has been addressing homelessness and the next steps that need to be taken.

“No community in the nation has been able to decrease the number of people experiencing homelessness through criminalizing homelessness as their only solution. And that’s part of why the City of Fargo really worked hard to ensure that we were prioritizing outreach to homeless camps as a first…as a first step,” said Chandler Esslinger, Community Liaison, Fargo Cass Public Health.

In the past few months, the city has enforced a camping ordinance. Anyone who violates the ordinance could be arrested and charged with an infraction and face a fine of up to $1,000. Since the ordinance went into effect, no known arrests have been made.

“So we’re trying something new and actually we have been able to house several individuals who have been sleeping outside directly from the camps which we are really grateful for. It’s because we’ve been able to maintain that relationship,” said Esslinger.

One of the biggest factors pointed out was that homelessness can be solved if the root of the solution is found. Churches United Homeless Shelter Pastor Devlyn Brooks believes that if the community can come together then it could happen.

“We’re not going to be able tackle homelessness unless we look at it from the broad scope of things. And this A. keeping people from being homeless, B. helping them get into shelters and making that capacity available to that community in which this is growing, and C. getting folks into housing,” said Pastor Devlyn Brooks, Churches United.

While currently shelters are at capacity and the homeless population is growing, a proposed bill is currently being worked on to quadruple state funding for the NoDak Homeless Grant program from the current $2.5M to $10M for providers to get and keep people in housing.

For more information on the bill proposed visit this website.