Butler County directs 90-day plan to inventory homelessness resources while weighing separate Continuum of Care

Butler County officials on Tuesday, April 29 convened a third housing summit and directed newly appointed Executive Director of Human and Social Services Julie Gilbert to develop a 90-day plan to inventory local housing and social-service resources and coordinate countywide work on homelessness.

The action follows months of work by a grassroots Butler County Housing and Homeless Collaborative that has petitioned to separate the county from Ohio's Balance of State Continuum of Care (CoC) so Butler County can apply directly for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) homelessness funding. Commissioners and local officials at the summit discussed the potential benefits, funding questions and oversight concerns of an independent CoC.

Julie Gilbert, introduced at the meeting, told attendees she has “26 years of experience working for the county” and described her new role as executive director of human and social services for Butler County. She said her initial work will inventory county and community resources, reach out to stakeholders, and “be driven by data” to build a sustainable, countywide plan that reduces redundancy and respects taxpayer dollars.

The collaborative…