The Burleigh County Commission begrudgingly provided $2,000 to develop a 10-year plan to end homelessness in Bismarck and Mandan.

Mike Zainhofsky, Burleigh County Housing Authority executive director, made the request at Monday's commission meeting.

An eight-member steering committee is working with a consultant to form a 40-member stakeholders group. A series of four stakeholder meetings will be held to develop the 10-year plan. The Consensus Council is the private nonprofit consultant retained for facilitation and development of the plan at a cost of $12,500.

Bismarck and Mandan have received an $8,000 grant from the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency for the project, and the steering committee is attempting to raise another $10,000 locally.

The plan, according to Zainhofsky, will identify available resources and what resources and strategies will be needed to fill the gap to provide for the homeless.

On any given day, up to 5,000 people in Bismarck and Mandan face going homeless, Zainhofsky said. Public housing and assistance programs are being stretched beyond their limits. The plan to eliminate homelessness by 2017 will change the current approach of providing homes first and then those programs to assist.

Commissioner Mark Armstrong said the goals of the project to eliminate homelessness seem lofty and improbable. Zainhofsky admitted that, in realistic terms, he agreed with Armstrong, but any progress made in reducing homelessness is of benefit to the community.

"I'd be kidding you if I said we were going to end homelessness, yet that is the vision and the goal,"Zainhofsky said. "The strategy is to do it in increments; we have to make dents in it. The big challenge is, where will we find money for services?"

Commissioner Marlan Haakenson questioned how the plan would be paid for and implemented once it is developed. That will be identified by the plan, Zainhofsky said.

Auditor-Treasurer Kevin Glatt said the $2,000 request was not budgeted for and it would take a budget amendment to provide the funding. There were a number of possibilities from which to take the money, including the general fund, Social Services budget and the public administrator's budget.

Commissioner Jerry Woodcox questioned whether reducing the homeless rate to zero in the Bismarck-Mandan area would actually induce more homeless people coming to the area.

"That's a good question," Zainhofsky said. "This is an initiative that is going across the nation, to develop these plans. Fargo has done one. Grand Forks is on the verge. Minot and Dickinson are getting involved. This way not just one community would be targeted."

Zainhofsky added that the economic boom the community is going through is attracting a lot of people with expectations of coming here to get a job.

Not all those expectations are being met and the number of homeless are growing.

Commissioner Jim Peluso was critical of the 10-year plan concept.

"I've been involved with a lot of five-year and 10-year plans. I struggle with them because they don't work," Peluso said. "A three-year plan or a plan every year is more progressive. To say a 10-year plan, well that seems far-fetched that it will work. That's the only problem I have with it."

Commissioner Doug Schonert made the motion to approve the request with the money coming from the general fund. It passed on a 3-to-2 vote.

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@;bismarcktribune.com.)