The City of Springfield is relaunching an extensive homeless outreach effort, along with new initiatives to connect the unsheltered with housing and to crack down on panhandling.
Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, Police Superintendent Larry Akers and other leaders say Project HOPE - Homeless Outreach Provider Engagement - will be returning after stalling out amid the pandemic.
The city unveiled Project HOPE 2.0 Tuesday - the re-emergence of a homeless outreach initiative that began nearly a decade ago.
The effort involves Behavioral Health Network clinical workers teaming up with Springfield police during evening and nighttime hours, with a goal of reaching out to the unsheltered.
“It's going to pair Springfield police supervisors with patrol officers and BHN clinicians, and we're going to go out in the field and we're going to do our outreach,” Akers said during the announcement in city hall. “We're going to reach the unsheltered people [who] are experiencing homelessness, suffering from untreated behavioral health matters, and that are just trapped in the throes of addiction and some of those who are disenfranchised, economically, that may result in homelessness.”
Speaking to that was Dr. Katherine Mague, a senior vice president at BHN.
“With our 24/7 emergency services and crisis clinicians, as well as our urgent care for community behavioral health, we'll be able to get folks off the streets with the support of the police, and get them the assessments and the treatment that they need for mental health and substance use,” she said.
The mayor's office says Project HOPE will be funded with an annual budget of $236,000 via ARPA funds.
Mayor Sarno says Springfield was among the first if not the first city in the state to have officers accompanied by mental health workers.
He also gave details on another initiative - "A Better Way to Give," described as a campaign to "redirect people from giving to panhandlers.
It's an effort that will go heavy on the signage - specifically, a large blue sign with white lettering that reads "SAY NO TO PANHANDLING," among other info.
"These signs will be going up in 180 locations throughout the City of Springfield - not punitive, we’re being diligent and want to be compassionate,” the mayor said. “There's a better way to give."
With the campaign, the city is looking to redirect people from giving to panhandlers - encouraging them to donate to programs instead.
The signs themselves have a phone number and URL directing the public to the United Way of Pioneer Valley.
At the same time, Sarno says, the signs are intended to discourage panhandlers in general, addressing apparent safety concerns and incidents involving panhandlers walking into roadways and between vehicles.
Funding for that effort includes nearly $50,000 raised through a "Better Way to Give" campaign. The signs are expected to start going up in the weeks ahead, according to the city's DPW director, Chris Cignoli.
Also discussed Tuesday – a new program that goes beyond outreach to the unsheltered and, with assistance from several groups, ultimately provide shelter and assistance to those who need it most.
“The other piece where that is being announced today is the city’s investment of $1.5 million in rental assistance and supportive services in a grant to CHD that will support people who are directly moving off the streets,” said Gerry McCafferty, the city’s director of housing.
Making use of federal “HOME-ARP” grant funds, intended for addressing homelessness, the city will work with the Center for Human Development to provide rental aid and services to those who are moving off the streets and into housing.
The effort, involving a new CHD Rapid Rehousing program, will work in-hand with Project HOPE, as well as the Mercy Medical Center outreach team. It aims to provide as much as two years’ worth of rental assistance, along with additional support for those who need it.
According to the city, the same federal grant is also providing $2.7 million “toward the development costs of new housing units.”
“The other thing that the city is doing - it's not an announcement today because there will be later groundbreakings - we're working with multiple providers to build 90 units of permanent, supportive housing,” McCafferty said. “So, we also can see, for some of those people that have the shorter term rental assistance, that will be a bridge to move into the housing that is longer-term and comes with ongoing intensive supports.”
