The City of Fargo and Fargo Cass Public Health are encouraging public participation in “Community Conversation on Ending Homelessness Together” events scheduled on Wednesday, February 21. James Mathy, Milwaukee County Housing Administrator and author of “Milwaukee County's Plan to End Chronic Homelessness,” will join area leaders and stakeholders to engage in a series of discussions centered around the components needed to develop a plan to address chronic homelessness in the community. The public is invited to attend two events focusing on a community-wide discussion on realistic approaches to addressing homelessness. These events were made possible through funding offered through a North Dakota Health Equity Grant.
James Mathy played an instrumental role in leading the Milwaukee, Wisconsin community to a 45% reduction in overall homelessness since 2015. Milwaukee County remains on pace to be the largest county in the nation to end chronic homelessness. James has over 20 years of experience working in the housing and community-health field with a focus on the development of homeless programs and permanent supportive housing.
The two events scheduled on Wednesday, February 21, are open to the public and encourage community members to join in the conversation related to this important topic.
Housing First Presentation: A Community-Wide Discussion with James Mathy
Wednesday, February 21 from 1 – 3 p.m. at Fargo City Commission Chambers (225 4th St. N.)
• James Mathy will discuss the necessary components to develop a solution and his experiences with taking a housing-first approach to ending homelessness.
• This event will be livestreamed at TVFargo.com and on The City’s Facebook, YouTube and X (Twitter) pages. Additional information can be found online.
Realistic Approaches to Addressing Homelessness in the Metro Area
Wednesday, February 21 | 7 p.m. at the Fargo Theatre (314 Broadway N.)
• Community members are invited to view a short documentary and participate in an interactive conversation with a panel of subject matter experts:
• James Mathy, author of “Milwaukee County's Plan to End Chronic Homelessness”
• Jan Eliassen, Director of Fargo Cass Public Health’s Harm Reduction Division
• Ashley Littlewolf, Board Chair of FM Coalition to End Homelessness and Self-Sufficiency Assistant Coordinator at SENDCAA
• Sarah Kennedy, Homeless Prevention and Diversion Program Director, Presentation Partners in Housing
• Pam Sagness, Executive Director of Behavioral Health Division, North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services
• Additional information can be found online.