Know Your Continuums

 

Meet  the NE-501 Omaha/Council Bluffs Continuum

The NE-501 is one of only two Continuums that includes two states (Nebraska and Iowa) within its tri-county boundaries. The two major cities -Omaha, Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa are separated by the Missouri River which defines the state line. The CoC is known as MACCH (Metro Area Continuum of Care for the Homeless). It has incorporated key national goals of ending veteran homelessness, chronic homelessness, and family/child and youth homelessness in its 10-year plan.

VITAL STATS:
Counties:  Douglas, Sarpy in Nebraska and Pottawattamie in Iowa
Population:  799,315
Area:  1,546 sq. miles
Pop. Density: 517 persons/sq. mile

CONTINUUM INFO:
Metro Area Continuum of Care for the Homeless (MACCH)
Legal Structure:  501 c3
Board Composition:  17 members
Board Exec Committee:
  President, Deanna Wagner (Douglas County Housing Authority)
  Vice President, Scott Brown (Gallup)
  Treasurer, Jo Williams (Tenaska)
  Secretary, Aileen Brady (Community Alliance)

Continuum Staff:
Executive Director: Charles W. Coley
Assistant Director: Lisa Vukov

Continuum Website:  http://www.endhomelessnesstoday.org/

 

CONTINUUM HOMELESS STATS:
Homeless 2016 PIT Count:  1,509 persons  (1,452 sheltered; 57 unsheltered) 
2015 Homeless Beds:  Emergency (809 non-DV; 66 DV)  Transitional (509 non-DV, 11 DV)
2015 Permanent Beds: 851 PSH Beds; 165 RRH Beds
Homeless Density (per 100,000 pop):  189 persons
2015 HUD ARD Funding Level:  $3,740,348
HMIS Software:  Service Point, Bowman Systems

(Picture right:  Room in The Stephen Center)

RECENT MACCH SUCCESSES:
Since 2012, chronic homelessness within MACCH’s Continuum of Care region has decreased 33% and veteran homelessness has decreased twenty-five percent. As a participant in the national 100K Homes Campaign and Zero:2016, respectively, MACCH has ensured the prioritization of the highest needs and highest barrier consumer subpopulations for purpose of permanent housing placement. A key success of the last year was development and implementation of MACCH’s first ever CoC-wide PSH wait list (in line with MACCH’s Coordinated Entry initiative and its local Prioritization Policy). 

REMAINING MACCH CHALLENGES:
The continued expansion and effective use of MACCH’s local HMIS implementation remains an ongoing objective. Additionally, the prevention and ending of child, family, and youth homelessness is a sustained goal of MACCH’s 10 Year Plan. Finally, the effective use of prevention and diversion resources is a CoC challenge and opportunity that—if done well—will ensure a humane and cost-effective solution to the systemic issue of homelessness. 

Compiled by NHIP from information provided by Charles Coley and the NE-501 Continuum