Announced in the recent budgetary committee session, the Agency will be offering new services under this policy. Initially proposed in 2020, the Committee for Resident Experience has lobbied for inclusion of these new policies, which will bring additional support for residents, families, and small businesses.

“This policy announcement will advance quality of life for our residents.”

– Carnee Simmons, Executive Director

Policy Details

The policy sets a bold but achievable goal of 25 percent increase in resident services and satisfaction within the next decade. The plan is the most ambitious effort set forth by this administration to increase access to services and address inequities that disporportionaty impact underserved communities, including people of color and other marginalized groups, and help cities and states reduce unsheltered homelessness. To reach that goal, the organization has outlined new strategies to increase access to services and reduce unused budgetary funding. These strategies define a new model in Agency services, an approach that focuses on the resident first, allowing for increased well-being in our communities. This sets the standard for policy growth in the years ahead, allowing for additional funding and services to be created under this umbrella.

Early next year, the Agency will begin working with a cohort of target populations to achieve:

• Awareness Campaigns: A community response team will develop and execute a new local strategy over two years. The team will be made up of a full-time lead and part-time agency program experts, including a senior regional advisor, who will work in partnership with elected and local leaders, service providers, and people who have prior or current experience in public policy.
• Digital Service Transformation: The community response teams will identify problems related to digital access will lead a task force to identify solutions and minimize red tape and bureaucratic processes. 12M dollars have been allocated for the creation of a new resident-first portal to make the process of reviewing, enrolling, and managing program participation.
• Program Measurement & Impact: The agency will help participating communities utilize and analyze all available data. Bi-annual impact reports will be shared publicly.
• Volunteer support: Agencies will provide volunteers for outreach to people and access to peer-to-peer networks to exchange best practices and approaches.

The Agency will lead implementation of the overall initiative and will establish a Response Leadership Team to coordinate the overall response, develop tools and guidance, track progress and report to its leadership, and elevate issues that cannot be resolved.

Promoting these services will require a coordinated effort to promote healthy and safe communities where all can live in dignity. Effective practices, such as using an emergency management approach are starting to emerge as national models.  Although each community is different, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution, these practices could be successfully replicated in communities facing the growing challenge.