Long Island Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness - Community Input Survey - Law Enforcement

The Long Island Coalition for the Homeless is engaged in a strategic planning process to guide the region’s Continuum of Care (CoC) in addressing homelessness on Long Island. The CoC is Long Island’s homeless response system, comprised of a network of community partners committed to ending homelessness. Developing a strategic plan will help us understand our current progress in addressing homelessness, where we want to go, and how we will achieve our goals. To develop new strategies and solutions that are truly community-driven, we are seeking input from our partners across various systems and sectors. Our goal is to understand what is currently working well in our homeless response system, what could be improved, and what is missing when considering the needs of people both at risk of and experiencing homelessness. The input gathered through this process will help to shape the strategies that build out our action plan.

We recognize that partnership with local law enforcement is essential in the work to prevent and end homelessness on Long Island. We hope to learn as much as we can about the housing-related challenges you are seeing in your interactions with community members, and how we can work together to keep Long Islanders safe in their housing. Please share as much detail as possible in your responses to this survey.
1.Which county do you represent in your role?
2.When you encounter people who are experiencing homelessness (e.g., sleeping outside or in cars, staying at shelters or motels) or are in danger of becoming homeless (e.g., facing eviction or displacement), what are some of the primary needs they express?
3.Which resources have been most effective and accessible for helping people to meet those needs?
4.Are there resources you wish there were more of, or resources that you wish existed for the people you encounter?
5.What challenges do you face when trying to assist people who are experiencing homelessness in your community?
6.Are there any trends that concern you? For example, an increase in homelessness among a certain population, or more people describing a specific unmet need?
7.Are there ways you think that homeless response system leaders and local law enforcement could partner differently or better to address homelessness?
8.What else can you share with homeless response system leaders about homelessness on Long Island and what steps should be taken towards solving it?