Home for All: A Door to Dignity

In this episode, we break down the key decisions and discussions from the April 21 Birmingham City Council meeting. Councilor Darrell O’Quinn sits down with Dr. Meghan Venable- Thomas to discuss the Home for All initiative, a dignity‑centered pilot designed to provide real support and stability for our unhoused residents. Plus, we share updates on upcoming events and other important information you’ll want to know.

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:03

Welcome to Motion to Adjourn, the podcast about the work that continues with the Birmingham City Council beyond what happens on Tuesdays during council meeting.

SPEAKER_01 0:12

All in favor, let it be known by saying aye.

SPEAKER_04 0:14

Or in the committee meeting. After the official motion to adjourn, the councilors continue work on behalf of the city and its residents. Welcome to the Motion to Adjourn podcast. I am your host, Anaya Kenyon. I serve as project manager for the Birmingham City Council. On today's episode, we've got a full lineup for you from Key Council Highlights to Councillor Daryl O'Quinn, who sits down with Dr. Megan Venable Thomas to discuss the Home for All initiative. Plus, we share updates on upcoming events and other important information that you'll want to know. Let's get started. Today, we are diving into some of the most significant items that were mentioned during Tuesday's council meeting. On Tuesday, the council approved the Eastern Framework Rezoning Plan, marking the completion of a multi-year community planning effort. This initiative spans several neighborhoods, including Woodlawn, East Birmingham, East Lake, and Airport Hills. A key component of the plan is the downzoning of inactive industrial sites to open the door for new development opportunities. Here's Councillor Josh Vasa explaining how this framework will benefit our neighborhoods.

SPEAKER_01 1:39

Ultimately, well, what we want to see in areas, especially that is along transit uh lines, is what we call transit-oriented development. What that means is where there are people, there are transit lines, there are shops, there is opportunity for multi-use, right? And so uh from a planning and zoning standpoint, that's what we were able to establish from the Eastern framework. Uh there are other districts and other areas that might already be overpopulated. In this case, um, there's room to grow, and we want to see that growth happen. But we also want to make sure that it happens in a way that is respectful to community and that doesn't cause residents to displacement. And so we saw that in the Eastern Framework Plan. The decisions that were made were made in such a way that I think will benefit the community. And again, uh having these community uh feedback sessions, you don't see that everywhere all the time. The fact that we did that here in the city of Birmingham is a is a good sign that we that what affects the residents is important to all of us.

SPEAKER_04 2:38

Developed as part of the City of Birmingham's 2013 Comprehensive Plan, this framework translates citywide goals into neighborhood level strategies for land use, housing, transportation, economic development, and public spaces. On Monday, Mayor Randall Wothin and Birmingham City Schools announced the Birmingham Children and Youth Commission. The commission will develop a structured blueprint for how the city invests in its young people, beginning at the neighborhood level. This work is critical. Currently, only 6% of Birmingham students born into poverty go on to secure high-paying careers in adulthood. The commission brings together leaders from education, community organizations, faith communities, the business sector, and elected offices. Their shared goal is to build a true cradle to career system, ensuring every child in Birmingham has the opportunity to become the best version of themselves. Don't leave just yet. We'll be right back after this quick message.

SPEAKER_02 3:49

Hello, Birmingham. I'm President Pro Tem Latanya Tate, and I'm excited to celebrate a major milestone. Our podcast, Motion to Adjourn, has officially reached its 10th episode. From day one, our goal has been simple: to bring City Hall a little closer to you. Whether we are highlighting community voices, breaking down city initiatives, or sharing the stories that shape our neighborhoods. This podcast is for every resident who care about Birmingham's future. Thank you for listening. Thank you for engaging, and cheers to the next 10 episodes.

SPEAKER_00 4:39

Today we're talking about one of Birmingham's most important new efforts, the Home for All Initiative, a dignity-centered pilot designed to provide real support and stability for our unhoused residents. I'm joined by Dr. Megan Venable Thomas, Director of the City of Birmingham's Department of Community Development. We're going to dive into what this initiative means for individuals in need, for our neighbors, and for Birmingham's long-term vision for compassionate, effective solution. Let's get started. Thank you for being here with me, Dr. Thomas.

SPEAKER_03 5:19

Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_00 5:21

All right. So let's jump right in and we'll start out with talking to our listeners about phase one of the Home for All initiative and why launching it now is such a critical moment for Birmingham.

SPEAKER_03 5:39

Yes. And so we have been waiting. It has been a long-awaited project. It's taken about three years for us to bring this project to bear. And so I think it's really at a critical point in time for us to be able to see an actual demonstration of what this work could look like in our city. Not just because we know that people need it, but because it is a proof of concept that when we bring collaborative partners together, when we imagine something better for our residents, and when we think about what that could look like, well designed and dignified, that we can actually build it, that we can do it, and that it can serve folks, and that it is serving a space that people are asking for. And so I think it's a really critical moment to be able to say, we did this thing that we set out to do, and now how do we continue to scale it when we understand that it's something that's needed and it's something that that works? So I'm really excited about how this will look and the opportunities it will provide and what we'll learn over the next year about what our future opportunities might be for development here around this space.

SPEAKER_00 7:14

Great. So the City of Birmingham is home to several service providers that serve the unhoused community, but the Home for All initiative is significantly different. Some of our other organizations provide basically emergency shelter in a communal housing type environment. Talk about what makes the Home for All initiative really significantly different from what we've become accustomed to. And why uh Home why Faith Chapel uh was the right partner for this and and how they came to the process.

SPEAKER_03 8:04

Yes, so um I think one thing that was really critical about this is that we were responding to things we were hearing in our community about a gap that needed to be filled based on evidence, actual data, but also grounded in experience that we were hurt hearing from our unhoused residents about the space that's between emergency shelter and permanent supportive housing, particularly for our most chronically unsheltered residents. And so we were really trying to understand what is that barrier for folks who are chronically unsheltered, meaning they've lived on the street for more than a year, they've come in and out of emergency experiences and maybe have one or two chronic illnesses or disabilities. What is really preventing you from uptaking some of the existing services? And what we heard was that there's not a lot of space for folks to be prepared, to prepare to one, get healthy to and and to have the support and the time needed to do and get healthy to be able to then uptake a more permanent solution. Um so moving from unhoused or unsheltered homelessness, living in a park or a car, and moving straight to an apartment might be a really drastic kind of adjustment. And so how could we create a space that allows for people to get well, for people to feel safe, for people to have the opportunity and time to do that, and then really prepare themselves for a permanent supportive option. And that's really what this program is is intending to do, specifically for those who are most chronically unhoused and feel less comfortable or feel like emergency shelter is not the right option for them to be able to get back on track. Um and so that's really where this, I think, this program birthed from. Um and then your second question was.

SPEAKER_00 10:00

Yeah, well, let's dive into uh yes, but let's dive into so this the site, uh if folks aren't familiar with it, um it it was previously just uh like a parking lot. Um and so um, you know, it's been completely transformed. The whole site is um surrounded by a privacy s privacy fence, and there are 15 micro shelter units in there that are that there's ADA accessible bathrooms, um the shelters are climate controlled, um, and other elements in the site that are that are really thoughtful. Can you, you know, kind of um further describe, you know what the site kind of feels like and and how it's going to support um safety and stability for these residents?

SPEAKER_03 11:03

Yeah, absolutely. Um I it was really important to us that we didn't just create um, we didn't just put down these micro shelters for immediate s shelter, which the pallet shelters can do. They are meant to be able to rapidly deploy in any space. You can set them up in a parking lot or any empty lot and be able to have shelter for people immediately. But what we wanted to create was a place that people could feel safe, that felt dignified, that offered opportunities for community belonging, engagement, but also for privacy and rest as people needed it, because we understood that our residents who are chronically unhoused have different needs. And and they really we heard them tell us that there are different things that they want to feel in order to feel be successful or to be most successful, to be on a pathway to more permanent housing. And so we really took a trauma-informed design lens as we thought about what would be on the site, what would it look like, what would it feel like from the colors, from the artwork. Um we worked with David Baker Architects, who are a beautiful architecture firm, who do a lot of trauma-informed design across the country. Um, we also worked with our Creatives for Impact program who are artists and creatives across the city who are interested in community development work, um, who created beautiful murals and other art pieces to design the space. We included a front porch as part of the community space because we understood, particularly here in the South, that a place may not feel like home if it doesn't have a porch. Um and so there were all kinds of elements, green, um, green infrastructure as well as plants and other things that really were intentionally thoughtful in the design of the space because we wanted it to feel not just not just be a place that's safe, but to feel like a place that was safe.

SPEAKER_00 12:57

Artwork too. I noticed that in the tour.

SPEAKER_03 13:00

Yes, that was a huge component of what we wanted to include. Dewan Moton created a beautiful mural to include Swift birds. And the reason that he utilized Swift birds is because they are a species of bird that moves homes frequently throughout their life course. And um a lot of our residents really resonated with that as like this is one stop, another stop on your journey to home, um, and that you'll continue to have other stops, um, and that we're here to support that journey with you.

SPEAKER_00 13:29

Great. Um so talk to me about, you know, you mentioned in the intro that um this was uh like three years to get to this point. Um so talk about the process and how Faith Chapel came to.

SPEAKER_03 13:45

Yes. Um so again, we also took a kind of different approach versus just selecting partners or picking people that we work with already. We created a request for proposals because we really wanted to put out what we were offering as the city, and thank you to the council for I think their um innovation and thoughtfulness around being open to doing something new and creative without fully knowing exactly what kind of uptake we were going to get. But we we purchased those pallet shelters um as a first step, and then we put out an RFP for the programmatic and operational components, seeing what kinds of partners were out there that really wanted to think about how do I build my capacity to do more housing, um, how do I build my capacity to serve this particular population in the city? How do I build my capacity or bring to bear more of my current offerings and scale them up in a way that can support this effort? And so Faith Chapel was an amazing partner because they um already have the day center where they've been for many years serving um unhoused residents across the city with different types of wraparound services. And they were really just saying, you know what, we have this space that we think we could bring in and we could operate and offer our services, but also learn how to build our capacity to be now a housing provider. And so they were a great um first partner for us in this work because they already had the experience, the expertise, the willingness and the energy to be go on this journey with us together as we were bringing uh Home for All phase one to bear.

SPEAKER_00 15:33

Cool. Well, um another thing that I'm excited about the project, uh actually located on the same block is uh organization called Redemptive Cycles that um refurbishes old bikes, and part of what they do is provide uh a free bike for folks who spend a little time with them. Um so talk about the partnership with Redemptive Cycles on their mobility and independence program and how residents can earn a bike.

SPEAKER_03 16:14

Yeah, so um they are one of the really cool partners in the area that already have this program, but particularly are bringing it here to our Faith Chapel site for residents who are interested to be able to participate in some community engagement projects, community service projects, and through that they're able to then earn their own bike and helmet. And so on site, part of our design because we knew we had this uh partnership with them, was that each micro shelter has its own bike rack. So they have their own parking space for their bike when they um get their bike, and so we're really excited about that opportunity and the future of what that looks like for our residents.

SPEAKER_00 16:55

Cool. Um so you mentioned that this is a pilot project, and you guys are gonna be tracking data over the course of the next year. So what are you looking to learn from this project and you know how is that going to guide the broader strategy of being able to do this elsewhere?

SPEAKER_03 17:19

Yeah, um I think we've already learned so much, which is interesting, um, which I don't know that we were expecting to learn at the uptake, but I think the fact that we already have a full house of residents on our site as well as a waiting list of 50 residents who are interested in being able to take up this opportunity has already demonstrated that there is a demand for this type of opportunity. But also who is up taking this opportunity has already, I thought I think exceeded our expectations around folks who are chronically unhoused, who have not taken up other opportunities of emergency shelter or permanent supportive housing or transitional housing in the past, um, have been chronically homeless for 11 plus years, um, that are this is their first time coming into shelter and thinking about, okay, how do I change what I'm doing? How do I uptake some different offerings? Um, this is a place that helps me feel like I might be able to take a different pathway. And so these are some of the things that we're already looking at. Like, okay, are we actually filling the gap that we were intending to fill? Um but I think our our next biggest um kind of data point is are we transitioning people from this site to more permanent supportive housing? Um, and what then does that uptake of permanent supportive housing look like? And so that's going to be one of our larger um data points and mechanisms that we're going to be tracking over the course of this. But I think even if only 14 folks um move to permanent supportive housing from unchronically uh chronically unsheltered homelessness, we're already doing better than we've been doing. Um and so, you know, we but I think we'll see that that will exceed our our expectations as far as these data metrics based on what we've seen so far.

SPEAKER_00 19:13

Yeah. So um also wanted to get your insight, you know, now that you've successfully gone through getting one site launched, um talk to me about some of the barriers that you encountered um and what you're anticipating and trying to do this elsewhere.

SPEAKER_03 19:32

Yeah, so I think some of our barriers um are around identifying sites that meet a number of important mechanisms. Um at baseline is obviously is the site viable for us to put these shelters on, for people to be on, for people to uh for the community or the village to be built. And um each require different, each site will have its own infrastructure needs, um, but a baseline requirement is around, you know, plumbing, water, things like that. Um but what we'll find is each place that we select will have its own um ability to host it, um, and the cost might increase um based on that. Um I think another is access to amenities. So we want our residents to be able to have access to things like transportation, um other services, workforce, um, grocery, food, things like that. And so um we're really trying to find places and areas that um don't hinder people's ability if they're living on the site to access those other things. Um, however, we do provide a lot of those to bring those to the site themselves. But we want people to be able to walk out of their community and get access to those things as well. But I think a a really important one that is oftentimes most challenging is around the support of the rest of the community in which it sits. And so I know you probably get a lot of feedback, as does the mayor, as do we in community development, around the challenges that they're experiencing with folks who are experiencing homelessness, whether that's to their business or to um vacant homes in their neighborhood or whatever it might be. And so a lot of neighbors are apprehensive to something like this coming to their neighborhood or their community. And I think another big part of this effort was to demonstrate that this is not meant to be a negative impact to you, to your business, to your community, but that it could actually be very positive when it's done well, when the service provision is accurate, when it's beautiful, um, and it can add to the viability of your neighborhood and also be serving a good and a common good and need that we're seeing across the city and that folks are asking for.

SPEAKER_00 21:56

Yeah, I certainly talk to some folks. Leading up to the launch of this project, who had preconceived ideas about what this is going to be. And I think it was really important to be able to make it, you know, something that they could see and observe that, hey, what I thought this was going to be was nothing like what it actually is. So yeah. All right. So that brings us to the close of today's discussion on the Home for All initiative and the role it plays in shaping Birmingham's future. A special thank you to Dr. Venable Thomas for offering such a valuable insight into how this effort will help remove barriers and open new pathways for our unhoused residents. And thank you to everyone tuning in. We look forward to continuing these conversations about progress, opportunity, and community here in our city. Until next time, take care and stay connected.

SPEAKER_04 22:58

Thank you. If you missed Tuesday's council meeting, you can always tune in at our Birmingham City Council Roku channel and on our YouTube and socials at City CouncilBeham. Again, that's City Council Beham. Here are some updates and upcoming events that you should know about. District 4. It's time for some spring cleaning. Counselor Brian Gunn hopes to see you at Norwood Park this Saturday, April 25th at 9 a.m. Make your plans, tell a friend, and join District 4 this weekend. It's also time for some spring cleaning in District 8. Join Counselor Sonia Smith for a district wide cleanup day on Saturday, May 9th, starting at the Crossplex at 9 a.m. To register and learn more, contact the District 8 office via email at d8help at Birminghamal.gov. Again, that's d8help BirminghamAL.gov. Hope to see you there. Hey Birmingham, we want to hear from you. Passing a balanced budget is one of the most important jobs we have because it's not just dollars and cents, it's a statement of our values. The budget covers everything that keeps our city running. This includes public safety, roads, parks, and the services your family counts on every day. The budget has to be in place by July 1st. That means your window to have a say is right now. Take just two minutes and fill out the budget priority survey by visiting BirminghamAL.gov slash FY2027. Again, that's BirminghamAL.gov slash FY2027. Thanks for listening to Motion to Adjourn. Make sure you subscribe to the podcast to learn more about your city and local government. Also, follow us on our socials on Instagram and Facebook at City CouncilBeham. Until next time, stay informed and stay engaged.