FARGO (AP) - Community groups are proposing a 10-year plan to help people who are chronically homeless here, including a special fund for landlords who rent to them.

Fargo had 253 homeless people on Jan. 25, including 79 long-term homeless, according to a one-day survey by the North Dakota Coalition for Homeless People Inc. People considered to be long-term homeless were homeless for an average of three years.

The plan projects 258 long-term homeless people in Fargo over the next 10 years.

It seeks to identify 185 housing units in 35 or more buildings where landlords are willing to rent to long-term homeless people. The plan recommends a $150,000 fund to reimburse landlords if a tenant breaks the lease or damages an apartment.

"It gives the landlords some peace of mind that they're not going to be left holding the bag," said Jessica Thomasson, a Fargo senior planner.

The fund is modeled after a similar one in Portland, Ore.

City Commissioner Brad Wimmer called the overall plan "very, very reasonable" but said funding is the biggest obstacle. The housing components alone carry an estimated cost of $1.3 million.

"We're going to have to be very careful that it fits into a budget, that we work on grants, that we work toward foundations and we help the state and federal (governments) do their part," Wimmer said.

The plan also recommends a 12-unit "safe haven" housing option with no lease requirement, and conversion of some existing emergency shelter space to permanent housing.

It recommends a team within the Southeast Human Service Center in Fargo to treat multiple disabilities, including mental illness and chemical dependency, as well as a rental assistance voucher program and a mediation program for landlords and tenants.

The plan suggests funding from local, state and federal governments and from faith-based groups, charitable foundations and corporations.

"We're not going to be thinking that we're going to find a huge pile of new money, but use existing resources in new ways," Commissioner Linda Coates said.

Thomasson said she will ask the City Commission on Aug. 28 to adopt the plan.