Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County attorney briefs board on federal homelessness executive order; board directs staff to draft letter of support
Summary
Douglas County attorneys and leaders reviewed a July 24 federal executive order on homelessness and public safety. The board voted to direct staff to draft correspondence highlighting the county’s model and seeking federal support and grant access.
Jeff Garcia, Douglas County attorney, summarized a recent federal executive order announced July 24 that calls for federal agencies to support local efforts addressing homelessness and public safety. Garcia outlined six key elements cited in the order, including policies to facilitate civil commitment for individuals who pose imminent risk to themselves or others, redirect federal funds toward outcome-based programs, expand forensic and behavioral-health capacity, and increase competition and accountability for grant recipients.
Garcia said the order also calls for changes to how federal housing grant programs prioritize some models and indicates a shift away from unconditional “housing first” grants toward approaches that pair housing with services and accountability. “HUD and the Department of Human Services are going to end the housing first grant model,” Garcia said, summarizing the federal direction described in the order.
The board discussed how the executive order aligned with Douglas County’s existing co‑response and HEART model. County staff told the board the order could help the county compete for new funding streams that emphasize paired services, reentry planning from detention and enhanced accountability for grantees.
Motion and vote
A motion was offered to direct county staff to draft correspondence supporting the president’s executive order and highlighting Douglas County’s model for lobbyists and federal partners. The motion was moved by Dan Marlowe and seconded by Sheriff Darren Weekley. The chair called for a voice vote; the motion passed on the recorded voice vote. No formal roll-call vote was provided in the transcript.
Why it matters
County leaders said the executive order may open new federal funding opportunities and validate the county’s “housing plus” and co‑response approach. Officials noted the potential for increased federal scrutiny of grantee outcomes and said they plan to advocate for competitive NOFO (notice of funding opportunity) design that allows Douglas County to apply successfully.
Supporting quotes
“The president recently on July 24, put out an executive order that really speaks to the work that we're doing in this room and in the county,” Douglas County attorney Jeff Garcia said.
“We can prove point in time the things that we can cite to, that the things that we're doing in Douglas County are 1, can be replicated across the state,” county staff said in the meeting discussion.
Action follow-up
County staff were directed to draft a letter of support and a program package that lobbyists can use in federal advocacy. The board asked staff to provide the draft for review before submission to federal partners and to share the full executive order with stakeholders.
