Opinion ID: 176682
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Advisory Committee

Text: As agreed, the mayor formed the Community House Ad Hoc Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee) to explore strategies that may enhance the role and mission of Community House. The Advisory Committee's goal was to develop recommendations that could assist the City of Boise address future challenges of homelessness and provide a new framework for defining the potential contributions that Community House could make to this effort. There were six members of the Advisory Committee with a wide variety of backgrounds: (1) Uwe Reischl, a university professor and Chair of the Advisory Committee; (2) Greg Allen, an architect; (3) Jill Dunn, a corporate manager; (4) John Traylor, a county executive administrator; (5) Mike Wilson, a health care advocate; and (6) Deanna Watson, President of CHI. The Advisory Committee issued its report to the City and the mayor on May 6, 2004. Recognizing that homelessness is an enduring presence in American society and that the homeless are often forced to use community services and public resources in very inefficient and costly ways, the Advisory Committee suggested that the City re-examine the role of Community House as both an emergency homeless shelter and a low-income transitional facility. Instead of continuing as a mixed-use facility, the Advisory Committee recommended that Community House function as an asset in meeting basic emergency needs of the homeless in the City of Boise. The Advisory Committee advised also that sharing emergency shelter services with organizations such as the BRM, the Salvation Army, and local churches might be beneficial. The report recognized that the sale of Community House ought to be considered. The report was not intended to be binding on City officials, but to help Mayor Bieter in evaluating [the City of Boise's] alternatives for Community House in the future.