Compassionate Conservatism and the Homeless Shelter.

As many of you know, there is a plan being circulated to build a homeless shelter on county land.  When I first heard about this proposal, I decided to view this in relation to the concept of compassionate conservatism.  After reviewing and discussing the details of the proposal, I have expressed my support for it.

What is compassionate conservatism?  It is the concept that our countries social problems are best resolved through a partnership with private sector entities rather than through growing government, and solutions that are focused on reducing long term dependency.  We have a small homeless community in Washington County, and that community is already receiving a substantial amount of county services.  Scott Walker has frequently talked about measuring the success of government by the number of people who transition away from dependency on government benefits. 

Some key details about the proposal so far that led me to view this proposal as one that fits the umbrella of compassionate conservatism:

• 100% privately funded.  The homeless coalition, including partners like Family Promise and St. Vincent DePaul, are committed to providing 100% of the cost to build and operate the shelter.  The only thing they are asking is to build the shelter on county land.
• Fiscal Responsibility.  Final approval by the County, as well as construction of this project will not begin until 100% of the costs for the first 2 years have been fully secured.
• Path Towards Independence.  The homeless shelter would be the first step on a path towards independence, where the rest of the path is already in place.  The average stay would be 30 days, with a maximum stay of 60 days.  During that time, any mental health issues would be assessed, as well as any dependency issues.  Processes to begin recovery would be implemented.  Health needs would also be assessed.  Employment and employability options would also be assessed.  The goal during the 30-60 days would be to stabilize the individual and transition them into a more permanent & sustainable housing option using existing options in the community.  The other steps towards independency already exist within the community, and all of them are privately funded.
• Small Scale.  Because it is designed to be only a short-term, temporary housing solution, it is deliberately being built to be small in scale.  The building will have a capacity of 14 residents, which will enable it to serve approximately 100 people during the average year.
• Integration with Existing County Services.  Currently, the homeless who would be served by this project are scattered throughout the county.  As a result, the county employees who work with these individuals are forced to drive all over the county to reach them.  By centralizing them to a building that is footsteps away from the County's Human Services Offices, as well as the Sheriff's Department, it will improve efficiencies and response time for county employees.
• Increased Supervision.  This project will enable the homeless to be monitored and supervised during their 30 day stay at the homeless shelter.  The lack of supervision that exists in other models limits their ability to achieve successful outcomes.

In my eyes, this fits the definition of compassionate conservatism.  Not every individual will succeed in this program, but success will be significantly improved, and many more individuals will achieve long-term independence from government assistance in Washington County.

I welcome any feedback and concerns on this issue.