In addition to working with numerous social service organizations to address issues which affect the district, the FCBID offers street outreach services to homeless and other affected individuals on district streets through a contract with the Partnership for the Homeless. Clients are offered access to drop-in centers, health care, substance abuse services, social services, and the emergency shelter system.

This past year, the FCBID welcomed a new outreach worker from the Partnership for the Homeless, David Baker. In addition to canvassing the district on a daily basis, David created an new outreach approach in November 2005, when he began distributing “dignity kits,” containing personal hygiene items. The kits are distributed free of charge to anyone who wants one, and they allow David to establish relationships with some of the more service-resistant individuals. David has also established twice-monthly workshops to pro-vide information to the homeless regarding the services that are available to them. FCBID public safety officers assist in these efforts by distributing flyers about the workshops, which are conducted out of a van where the dignity kits are also distributed.

PARTNERSHIP FOR THE HOMELESS YEAR END REPORT The Partnership for the Homeless released its year-end report in July 2005, detailing the activities of David Baker, the Partnership’s outreach worker who covers the Fashion District. The report’s analysis of the area’s homeless population indicated that the average homeless person in the Fashion District is an African American male between the ages of 34 and 50 who has been homeless for an average of 5 years. The report also noted that the majority of those accepting homeless services were also in need of substance abuse and/or mental health programs.

HOMELESS COUNT On September 29, 2005, David Baker acted as a team leader on behalf of the FCBID at the city-wide summer homeless count. Six homeless individuals were found on the streets of the Fashion District that night. On February 27, 2006, David participated in the winter homeless count. He noted 9 homeless individuals on dis-trict streets that evening and was able to coax two of them to accept assistance.

S2HI UPDATE The FCBID continues to work closely with the Street to Home Initiative (S2Hi), an organization dedi-cated to finding permanent housing for the homeless, to which the FCBID regularly refers clients. The FCBID is pleased to report that several of David Baker’s clients have successfully navigated the program, and are now living in their own permanent apartments. They are also receiving supportive services for their individual needs.

PROJECT HELP In November, FCBID public safety offi-cers received training from Project Help regarding the legal intricacies of dealing with homeless people who are mentally ill. Project Help is a city-funded agency with a team of multi-disciplinary outreach workers who are uniquely qualified to determine how to best serve the needs of the Fashion District’s particular homeless population. The team also can call on the services of a psychiatrist who has the authority to commit an indi-vidual for observation if it appears that the person is in danger of injuring himself/herself or another.

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