Ocala/Marion Joint Office of Homelessness Prevention

The Marion County Commission approved the Ocala/Marion Joint Office of Homelessness Prevention on July 1, 2020, following a recommendation from the Marion County Public Policy Institute.  The Joint Office of Homelessness Prevention is comprised of City of Ocala and Marion County employees, and serves as the lead agency for federal funding.  The Marion County staff primarily oversees funding and applications, while the City of Ocala staff is the lead agency for handling outreach efforts, Coordinated Entry and the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). 

The City’s Outreach and Referral Specialists evaluate the needs of each client through an assessment tool known as the Vulnerability Index-Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (VI-SPDAT).  The VI-SPDAT is a survey triage tool, administered both to individuals and families to determine risk and prioritization when providing assistance to homeless and at-risk of homelessness persons.  It gives the Outreach Specialists an overview of the needs of the client and allows them to make an assessment as to what resources are required to best meet their needs.