Council supports new interagency council to end homelessness

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Savannah’s elected leaders moved forward in supporting a new interagency council to end homelessness.

The new agency will be known as the Savannah-Chatham County Interagency Council on Homelessness/Continuum of Care.

WTOC had a chance to talk with the executive director for the Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless earlier today about the initiative.

The approved resolution formalizes the City’s role and participation in the new agency, which in part gives the City through already approved budgeting, a new senior policy advisor on homelessness position.

That new advisor will focus on addressing the needs and implementing solutions to homelessness.

Jennifer Darsey, the Executive Director of the Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless said, “it’s not taking the place of the CoC, it’s actually adding, and really adding some administrative support. So there’s going to be a person working working at the City of Savannah who gets up every single day and thinks about nothing but homeless, homelessness services, how we can redevelop expand services. And that’s not just localized to the City of Savannah, but all of Chatham County.”

During today’s meeting, Alderman Nick Palumbo said he’d like to see other municipalities join in on the effort, pointing out its a community-wide issue.

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