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City, county express support for homeless ‘navigation center’

Officials informally agree to pony up $150,000 per year

Durango city councilors and La Plata County commissioners gave their informal blessing Monday to a new navigation center that would provide a location for homeless residents and those on the cusp of homelessness to seek help.

The center would allow homeless residents to seek help with housing and other nonprofit services that could allow them to stabilize their lives, said Jennifer Lopez, a consultant who presented the idea.

Providing residents with better access to existing services could allow campers to move into housing, she said.

“This is about individually meeting people where they are at,” she said.

The center is one proposal in a new $70,000 strategic plan being prepared by The Athena Group to address homelessness. Athena Group consultants presented pieces of the plan to elected officials Monday at Durango City Hall, with a request for funding.

Officials informally agreed to give $150,000 annually for three years for the center, mostly to cover the salary for a manager to oversee it. The salary range would be between $70,000 and $85,000 with benefits. Support staff could be between $40,000 and $50,000. The manager would be in charge implementing other strategic plan steps, such as collecting data on homelessness.

Read the full article on the Durango Herald at: https://durangoherald.com/articles/302960-city-county-express-support-for-homeless-navigation-center

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