Today, Nov. 5 is Election Day! 21 Voter Service and Polling Centers (VSPC) in Douglas County are open to assist you. If you’re ready to drop off your voted ballot and do not need staff assistance on Election Day, simply deliver your ballot to one of the 21 convenient ballot drop boxes located throughout Douglas County by 7 p.m. Visit DouglasVotes.com for more information.
Plan ahead! Douglas County Motor Vehicle and Recording offices will be closed on Tuesday, Nov. 5, Election Day, as Douglas County Clerk and Recorder staff will be supporting General Election operations. Visit Douglasdrives.com to learn more.
In Douglas County, our person-first perspective leads with compassion, recognizing first and foremost the inherent value of all humans and that the challenges facing the unhoused are complex and varied, from distinguished veterans with families who lost a job and can’t afford housing, to those who may have mental health challenges, substance abuse issues, criminal records which create barriers to gainful employment, and many other cross-cutting and overlapping complexities in between.
That said, unlike many major metropolitan areas throughout the country, Douglas County will not become a victim of its own compassion and allow illegal drugs, debris, and decay to proliferate and overtake our community to the detriment of the rest of the citizens and businesses that choose to locate here. This critical balance of compassionate public safety with behavioral health is at the core of our Homeless Engagement, Assistance & Resource Team (HART).
We understand being unhoused is not a crime and it is not our intent to criminalize homelessness.
We support and fund law enforcement and have a zero-tolerance policy for crime in our community. It remains illegal in Douglas County to litter, vandalize, impede traffic, trespass, or to put children at risk on our streets, sidewalks, and public spaces. Camping restrictions are in place in unincorporated Douglas County, and municipalities also have ordinances in place which support public safety. We will continue to work with civil liberties legal experts and our respective legal departments to create a uniform framework for compassionate code enforcement.
We also understand that to implement Code Enforcement we must have dedicated shelter for the homeless in Douglas County (People v. Wiemold, 19CV30889). Our approach to managing those who are unsheltered in our communities is to pair our investment in shelter with a whole-person system of support.
Our system of support reflects a continuum of care that addresses not only basic needs such as food and shelter, but job counseling, mental health support, substance abuse treatment, and fosters independence/self-reliance through opportunities for productive reintegration into society.
The system of support includes the GOALS program as well as Reintegration and Transportation.
If you are in need of Human Services assistance, please click here.
We continue working with our partners to develop and implement a Public Awareness campaign across communication platforms for citizens, businesses, and those experiencing homelessness, which reflect the Four Cs. Including uniform signage throughout the county and municipalities that reflect several key components:
We understand that many have the desire to help yet are conflicted regarding what is the “right thing to do” when encountering someone who may be experiencing homelessness.
Our goal is to redirect kindness and generosity to countywide resources in support of the unsheltered.
CALL the community response team
DO NOT hand money or items out of your vehicle
ENCOURAGE getting information about available jobs and resources
