Submitted by: Shakira Louimarre
Submitting Department: Administration
Agenda Section: Presentation
Item Title:
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The h3 Project: Report of Findings from Community Engagement Survey of Unhoused Populations in Hyattsville
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Suggested Action:
recommendation
For presentation.
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Summary Background:
Since 2021, increased quality of life issues such as homelessness, loitering, trespassing,
public intoxication, and related challenges have become increasingly problematic in the City of Hyattsville, including but not limited to the University Town Center and the Queens Chapel Rd/Ager Rd./Hamilton St. vicinity in West Hyattsville. The City of Hyattsville is committed to addressing these quality-of-life issues through a just, collaborative, and comprehensive approach.
To gather the appropriate data and provide a solutions-oriented analysis, the City contracted with the h3 Project in October 2023 to conduct community engagement to gain a deeper understanding of the root causes of homelessness in the Hyattsville area and to develop a final report of those findings. The survey was conducted for a period of 60 days, from November 30, 2023, through January 30, 2024.
Ami Angell, Founder and Director of Outreach for The h3 Project will present the finding of the community engagement survey to the City Council on Monday, March 4, 2024. Background on The h3 Project is below.
The h3 Project is a non-profit organization in Washington, D.C. that has been created with the express purpose of addressing homelessness and human trafficking within the Washington District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia areas. In the last three years, The h3 Project has conducted over 400 individual surveys of individuals experiencing homelessness for several DC Business Improvement Districts (BID)- including Downtown BID, NoMa BID, MVT CID, Capitol Hill BID, and Dupont Circle BID as well as Union Station, Georgetown University and Philadelphia's 30th Street Station.
The h3 Project team includes individuals with extensive experience in social work, clinical psychology, multilingual outreach, experience in addressing addiction and mental health diagnosis, crisis intervention, case management, and both lived and professional experience in homelessness. All h3 Project team members are required to keep current certifications in a number of areas including CPR/First Aid, Suicide Awareness and Prevention, Opioids and Naloxone Administration, Active Violence Emergency Response Training (AVERT), Human Trafficking Awareness and Response, Anti-Racism Training, and Intersectional Identities and Inclusive Practice.
Next Steps:
The GARE Cohort continues to conduct outreach and coordination with residents, businesses, county and state services, and H3 to identify actionable steps and services.
Fiscal Impact:
$15,000 in ARPA funding supported this project.
City Administrator Comments:
H3 provided the City with essential information to begin identifying challenges faced by our unhoused population as well as strategies and/or resources that may assist the City going forward.
Community Engagement:
Employees of The h3 Project engaged directly with those experiencing homelessness in the City.
Strategic Goals:
Goal 1 - Ensure Transparent and Accessible Governance
Legal Review Required?
N/A