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Hagerstown stakeholder meetings outline multi‑partner plan on homelessness, mental health and youth truancy
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Summary
Councilmember Burnett summarized monthly stakeholder sessions with 30+ community partners that produced short‑ and long‑term solutions for homelessness, mental‑health/substance use and youth truancy, including expanded shelter capacity, sober‑home certification advocacy, opioid‑funded care coordination, a proposed 24‑hour crisis hub and a truancy pilot with county partners.
Councilmember Burnett updated the mayor and council on a series of stakeholder meetings launched in October 2025 to bring community partners together to work on homelessness, mental health and youth truancy.
Burnett said more than 30 stakeholders participated in the closed monthly sessions and that the groups broke work into short‑term and long‑term actions with responsible parties and target dates to be published. Short‑term homelessness measures include improved data sharing with the homeless coalition and operational collaboration with REACH and other service providers to identify gaps and pursue grants. Long‑term suggestions include pursuing additional shelter capacity and targeted rent stabilization efforts in partnership with county and state stakeholders.
On mental health and substance use, Burnett said the group discussed state‑level policy ideas (including a previously discussed proposal to require certification for sober homes, which was not favored this session but may be revisited), the creation of smaller expert workgroups, and potential use of opioid settlement funds for a dedicated coordinator to support transitions from treatment and corrections into community care.
Participants also discussed establishing a 24‑hour crisis hub on a Citiborp‑style campus model and routing mental‑health‑court pathways and reentry liaisons into county jails. For youth truancy, the group highlighted a Washington County pilot program and recommended more youth engagement in neighborhoods; Burnett said the stakeholder teams will develop target dates and responsible parties for published action lists.
Burnett invited councilmembers to join small breakout sessions (up to two elected members plus the mayor) and said the compiled list of solutions will be circulated to stakeholders and the public with timelines and accountable parties.
