photo by: Journal-World

The west side of the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St.

Douglas County has been recognized for meeting a standard of tracking people experiencing homelessness on a “by-name” basis.

105 Inside: Built for Zero, a nonprofit initiative, announced that Douglas County has become the 88th community in the country to keep a real-time, person-specific list of everyone experiencing homelessness, including those sheltered and unsheltered. In addition, the county is the second community to achieve this “by-name data standard” in the state of Kansas.

Using information collected and shared with their consent, the data includes each single adult’s name, homeless history, and health and housing needs. With the by-name data, Douglas County can get a better idea on how to improve outcomes for people, understand if they are reducing homelessness and target investments that are expected to have the largest impact for reducing homelessness.

The county joined Built for Zero in 2020 – an initiative based on a national initiative of more than 100 cities, counties and states working to measurably end homelessness. Built for Zero is a collaboration between the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition, and other collaborations of partners in Kansas working to end homelessness.

“I had no idea the road to quality data would be so long, but five years later I’m gratified to have been a part of this meaningful project,” Assistant County Administrator Jill Jolicoeur said in the release. “In addition to our agency partners, I want to thank our community members that are reflected in the quality data numbers for trusting our partners and our commitment to this work. We are committed to using this data to ensure a place for everyone in Douglas County.”

The release said that the by-name list often serves as the foundation for case conferencing meetings, where community providers come together to coordinate and develop housing solutions for individuals in need.

It also allows the county to monitor changes in the size, makeup, and trends of its homeless population. This data helps officials prioritize resources, evaluate system improvements, and determine whether their efforts are effectively reducing homelessness toward zero.

The key agencies that touch on the homelessness sector in the county, include Douglas County, City of Lawrence, Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, Lawrence Community Shelter, Homeless Resource Center, Lawrence Family Promise, The Willow Domestic Violence Center, Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition, Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health, and Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority.