Share and Follow
SAVANNAH, Ga. — The Chatham-Savannah Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) has reached the halfway point of its ambitious five-year strategy, and officials are reporting encouraging progress.
Stephanie Kaple, the Executive Director of ICH, shared updates on the plan’s progress during the Ardsley Park/Chatham Crescent Neighborhood Association’s monthly gathering on Wednesday.
Kaple provided a detailed overview of how their strategic plan is evolving in its mission to tackle homelessness in the area.
The initiative focuses on six primary objectives, such as increasing shelter intake hours, establishing a resource center, and managing encampments. These efforts have been well-received by those experiencing homelessness, according to Kaple.
“Since implementing our encampment management policy, we’ve reduced the number of encampments in our community from 85 to fewer than 20 within Chatham County,” Kaple explained.
The City of Savannah primarily has emergency shelters. A majority of those shelters only have a 90-day stay period. Kaple said after those 90-days many people still don’t have a safe place to go; therefore, she says there needs to be more transitional housing.
“We’re going to get you through that job training program or get your license reinstated,” Kaple said. “You are going to walk out those doors and never have to come back here again. That is my goal. So, we really need to add more transitional housing to our community.”
During Wednesday’s presentation Kaple addressed ongoing issues not just in Chatham County but across the country.
“30 percent of your income is the appropriate amount to be paid for housing. There’s no place in the country you can do that on a minimum wage job,” Kaple said. “So we have problems and they have the potential to get a lot bigger.”
According to last year’s point-in-time survey, there were roughly 700 people experiencing homelessness in Chatham County, Kaple said. The Chatham-Savannah Homelessness Authority is still gathering this year’s numbers, which should be released in May.
If you are looking for ways to help those experiencing homelessness,you can reach out to the Chatham Savannah Authority of Homelessness.