Community Connections
Report date
June 2018
What has been most instrumental to your progress?
In 2016 and 2017 we conducted community wide Point in Time counts working in partnership with agencies, the Williston School District, Head Start and the Family Crisis Shelter. The counts have given us a better understanding of the extent of the homeless issue in Williston and the surrounding areas. By developing the networks we are also able to have up to date information on the extent of homelessness in Williston. For instance the count for 2017 was 168 adults and 93 children counted as homeless. January through May 2018 we have counted 82 adults reporting they were either living in their cars or on the streets. The number of children counted by the School District and Head Start remained the same.
The area is once again experiencing an extreme labor shortage. Job Service ND reported that as of June 20 there are over 3,000 positions available in Williston. Many new people are once again arriving to find employment and provide for their families. A large number of those arriving are coming with little to no resources and currently the housing industry and hotels/motels are reporting they are about 90% filled.
The area is once again experiencing an extreme labor shortage. Job Service ND reported that as of June 20 there are over 3,000 positions available in Williston. Many new people are once again arriving to find employment and provide for their families. A large number of those arriving are coming with little to no resources and currently the housing industry and hotels/motels are reporting they are about 90% filled.
Presentations have been given in the communities of Crosby, Ray, Tioga and Williston. In Williston we have completed 4 and have 3 more scheduled. We have also given the presentation at the Western ND Synod Assembly of the ELCA covering all of Western ND. At the presentations we ask those attending to give us ideas that we could look at implementing in the next year. One meeting in Williston included a city commissioner.
One presentation scheduled for June 30 is at a community dinner were about 60% of those attending are living homeless. We plan to adjust our presentation for the audience and to ask for their views on the issue in Williston as well ideas for they see as the needs. We will also be looking to ask for someone to be on the task force to implement ideas.
One presentation scheduled for June 30 is at a community dinner were about 60% of those attending are living homeless. We plan to adjust our presentation for the audience and to ask for their views on the issue in Williston as well ideas for they see as the needs. We will also be looking to ask for someone to be on the task force to implement ideas.
In the Fall, 2018 we will write a report of the ideas generated at the presentations. We plan to invite people that have attended the presentations to join a group to look at the ideas and decide which one(s) to try in the next year. They will also be tasked with monitoring the work, discussing what worked, what didn't work or could work better then making necessary changes.
The local Williston Ministerial is already wanting to take an active roll in the issue of homelessness. We will invite members of the group to join the larger community wide group.
The local Williston Ministerial is already wanting to take an active roll in the issue of homelessness. We will invite members of the group to join the larger community wide group.
Key lessons learned
We learned how underground the issue of homelessness is in Williston. Many people will say they don't ever see people who are homeless expecting them to look like what they see on television or in the movies. The homeless here are people that are not sleeping on Main Street or out in the open. They are finding out of the way places to sleep and they look like anyone else because they are searching for employment and understand they need to appear as professional as possible.
Many of the people attending the presentation are surprised by the extent of the issue and their first reaction is to feel overwhelmed. We try to reassure them that as a community working together we can have a real impact.
Many of the people attending the presentation are surprised by the extent of the issue and their first reaction is to feel overwhelmed. We try to reassure them that as a community working together we can have a real impact.
One challenge we have not yet been able to overcome is Watford City, south of Williston. The community has grown considerably in the five years. When the downturn in oil prices hit and the City of Williston and county of Williams passed an ordinance that no longer allowed for company crew camps the economy slowed down. However, in Watford City they welcomed all companies and their housing and the operating oil wells were located close to Watford City thus the growth. However, when having conversations with religious leaders and community leaders they felt it was not necessary to hold a Point in Time Count or to hold a presentation. The people we met with would say if there are homeless in their city, the people 'choose' to live that way. We plan to continue to work to see if we can find a way to get an accurate count as well as help them understand the extent of the issue in their city.
Reflections on inclusive, collaborative or resourceful problem-solving
Collaborative-It is vital the entire community work together to continue the work. We currently work with the Williston Ministerial which includes all of the churches, Williams County Social Services, the Salvation Army, Community Action Partnership, Job Service ND, employers, Train ND, Williston State College, and Williston School District #1 to provide the best possible care of people in need. It is through the partnerships we have been able to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by those living homeless in our community. We have also been able to have more accurate knowledge of the number of people living homeless. We plan to expand on the partners in the work to include other faiths as well as more service clubs like Lions, Moose and Rotary, and more employers.
We have also worked to get a close working relationship with news media to get the information out to the broader community.
We have also worked to get a close working relationship with news media to get the information out to the broader community.
Other key elements of Community Innovation
Williston experienced an economic downturn in 2015. However, the oil industry is once again ramping up. On June 21 Job Service ND reported there are more than 3,000 jobs available in the Greater Williston Area. People are once again arriving in Williston daily looking to find employment to better provide for themselves and their families. Unfortunately they are coming with few to no resources to live while waiting for their first paycheck. Other than the Family Crisis Shelter for those that have experienced domestic violence there are no shelters and housing is once again at a premium. A pastor at one of the larger congregations reported the rent for his apartment was being raised by $500 a month. The monthly rent for two bedroom apartments are averaging around $1,400. This is cost prohibitive for people working in other industries besides oil. There is a desire among clergy to move quickly to have a shelter in place by winter 2018-19. However, we are advocating having policies and practices in place before opening any kind of shelter.
Understanding the problem
The community has a better understanding of the extent of the issue. People that have attended the dinners have come realize something needs to be done. We are discovering passion in some people to provide for the best care of people in need as well as the homeless. We have been meeting with various agencies that serve people living homeless to learn what they are doing. We ask what works and what do they feel could be done better. This has led to some interesting ideas being shared that could be brought to the task force. We have also learned how vulnerable people living homeless are, especially to drug dealers. We have helped connect clients that admit to an addiction to services to help them. This is an issue because most employers in Williston test for drugs prior to employment beginning and randomly during employment. One employer reported they hired 50 people as truck drivers. Only 12 were able to be hired because they tested negative for drugs.
If you could do it all over again...
One piece of advise I would give is to be patient with those that do not know the extent of the issue because most of them will be shocked by the numbers and feel overwhelmed. Many participants will want to do something immediately. Help them be patient with the process and explain why the methods we are using are necessary. Also, be patient with those that refuse to see the issue as an issue for the entire community. Some will come to understand and others will not. It is important to begin work as soon as possible with those whose eyes have been opened and those with the heart to begin the work.
One last thought
Williston is an interesting community that over the past 60-70 years have experienced periods of extreme wealth and prosperity and periods of recession. There are people living in the community that have been through all of the cycles of oil exploration and have felt used by outside forces that have come here to get rich. They are a small community that is experiencing urban issues and are trying to figure out how to live into those urban issues. This requires those of us that are new to the community to make a bigger effort to get to know the long time residents. Many of us that have come here in the last 10 years also need to remember that we have come from larger urban settings and we look at the issues with different lenses than the long time residents. This takes extra effort on our part since we need to take the time to allow the long time residents to find their way in this 'new' community that has been their home for their entire life.