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Douglas County moves to formalize outreach partnership with Threshold COC to strengthen HUD funding applications
Summary
The board approved a consent-item MOU to formalize existing cooperation between the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and Threshold Continuum of Care; Threshold said HUD funding rules now emphasize documented local partnerships, and staff said the MOU carries no county cost.
The Douglas County Board reviewed and approved (as part of the consent agenda) a memorandum of understanding to formalize the county sheriff’s office’s cooperative support of Threshold Continuum of Care (Threshold COC) in homeless outreach and referrals.
Spencer Head, executive communications coordinator for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, explained the MOU formalizes existing practices: deputies' outreach now works alongside a grant-funded homeless outreach coordinator who makes referrals to providers such as the Stevens Center and Sienna Francis. Head said the MOU involves no direct county cost and mainly documents the partnership to strengthen Threshold’s HUD funding applications.
Jason Feldhouse, executive director of Threshold COC, told the board recent HUD notice-of-funding-opportunity revisions shifted a larger share of funds into competitive awards and placed a greater premium on documented relationships with local jurisdictions, including law enforcement. Feldhouse said the metro-area provider network serves about 6,500 individuals annually across the three counties, with roughly 5,200 users in Douglas County recorded in HMIS; federal investment in the region has risen in recent years to about $7.1 million and could grow toward approximately $9 million under anticipated allocations. Feldhouse said Sarpy County declined to sign, but Omaha and Council Bluffs jurisdictions and police departments were moving forward with MOUs.
Commissioners raised issues including potential duplication of Omaha’s existing outreach teams in city limits, how services would apply in unincorporated Douglas County, and whether the partnership would entail staffing or fiscal obligations. Head and Feldhouse clarified the agreement has no fiscal note and is intended to document cooperation so Threshold's competitive HUD applications can demonstrate effective local partnerships.
The board approved the consent agenda item, and public commenters from the Stevens Center described collaborative work with the sheriff’s office on individual cases. Commissioner Kavanaugh and others asked for data estimates and were told the provider network’s HMIS counts and recent federal funding increases provide a basis for planning and coordination.
The MOU formalizes an existing collaboration and is intended to help the community be more competitive for federal homelessness funding while preserving the current outreach roles of partner agencies.
