Neighborhood services outlines 'Pathways to Stability' partnership and an Arbor of Hope conversion with a funding gap

Neighborhood services staff and nonprofit partners at the workshop described ongoing efforts to coordinate housing‑stability services and a proposed conversion of the Arbor of Hope encampment into a structured, phased supportive housing project.

Staff said the city designated Feed My Sheep as the lead agency for the initiative and described the Pathways to Stability program as “a person‑centered approach to ending homelessness” that coordinates agency casework, ID and benefits navigation, rental assistance and treatment referrals. Jeff Siegel, executive director of Feed My Sheep, has been leading agency coordination, staff said.

City staff presented an engineer’s opinion of probable cost for Phase 1 at about $6.1 million and said the city and partner funding sources — including a Section 108 loan, Federal Home Loan Bank grants and CDBG funding — cover most of that amount but leave roughly $1.5 million to be raised. Staff said the nonprofit community is preparing to close the gap with fundraising and in‑kind support. A public hearing on the property conversion and related agreements is scheduled for Dec. 2.

Program metrics presented at the workshop showed hundreds of households and individuals assisted in the past year with emergency shelter, rental assistance, warming‑shelter placements and exits to permanent housing. Staff said the Temple Community Partnership and the city’s grant team are pursuing identified funding streams and that some grants are still pending.

Council members asked clarifying questions about the city’s direct financial exposure, the split between city‑applied and nonprofit‑applied grants, and the implementation timeline. Staff said most funding sources would be applied through the nonprofit partner where allowable and that additional public input will be scheduled at the Dec. 2 hearing.