Fayetteville directs $1.6M for homelessness
FAYETTEVILLE — The Fayetteville City Council chose to use the rest of its share of federal pandemic relief money on a plan to address homelessness.
Council members voted 7-0 early Wednesday to select 7 Hills Homeless Center to receive part of the city’s portion of American Rescue Plan money. The city was granted a total of $17.9 million and had $1.6 million remaining.
The city earlier this year solicited proposals to use what was left of its rescue plan money on an affordable housing solution. Two organizations responded, with the council selecting 7 Hills proposal over a set of plans from local firm Flintlock Landscape, Architecture + Building, owned by former Planning Commissioner Alli Quinlan.
The 7 Hills proposal involved a number of partner organizations and focused on relief for individuals and families experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. The Flintlock proposal was targeted at working-class residents by using the money to subsidize rents for a set of planned residential developments.
Council members praised both proposals, but all who spoke agreed the 7 Hills proposal more closely matched what they wanted to see with the use of the money. During workshops leading up to the selection, members said they wanted to see some kind of collaborative effort among partner organizations that involved case management for people trying to get out of homelessness. The Flintlock proposal involved no case-management aspect and was more of a straightforward development proposal, they said.
The winning proposal has five components, each headed by a different organization. 7 Hills will act as the fiduciary agent reporting to the city, which will report use of the money to the federal government.
7 Hills hopes to convert the dorms at its Walker Family Residential Community south of Huntsville Road into an overnight shelter with 64 beds.
New Beginnings wants to create a place for people moving out of its microshelter community on School Avenue. The organization has a pair of triplexes under contract on Kaywood Lane, behind Braum’s on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Additionally, some money would be used to start a program called Family Promise among a group of churches. The churches would rotate providing shelter to families, and the money would help modify the churches to better accommodate families and buy supplies.
More money would go toward supporting the Salvation Army’s existing Pathway of Hope program, which provides rent, financial assistance and case management services to families facing homelessness.
Lastly, a nonprofit in Rogers called Diva & Dude, led by founder Carla Thompson, would head a street outreach program in Fayetteville to divert people from homelessness.
The council’s action Tuesday essentially gave the green light to the city administration to negotiate a contract for services with 7 Hills, so details can be worked out then, he said.
The city can only convey the money on a reimbursement basis. Becci Sisson, 7 Hills chief executive officer, told the council she and the 7 Hills board were aware the money will have to be spent first by the organizations. She said the organizations are prepared financially to handle the initial burden.
Seven people spoke in support of the 7 Hills proposal during the meeting. Solomon Burchfield, program director with New Beginnings, estimated the proposal would provide more than 350 people with emergency shelter over two years and provide more than 100 people with permanent housing.
The city has until the end of next year to obligate use of the money and until the end of 2026 to spend it. Otherwise, the money must be returned to the federal government.
During workshops leading up to the selection, members said they wanted to see some kind of collaborative effort among partner organizations that involved case management for people trying to get out of homelessness.