Mobile, Ala. — After more than a decade of service to Mobile’s unhoused population, Kendell Young has joined the City of Mobile as its first dedicated Homeless Outreach Coordinator.
With leadership experience at Waterfront Rescue Mission and Housing First, Inc., Young has a unique skill set that will support the Office of Resilience and Sustainability as it works to coordinate the services that faith-based organizations, nonprofits and local agencies provide to those experiencing homelessness.
“Kendell’s experience and passion make him an ideal candidate for this critical role,” Mayor Sandy Stimpson said. “His unique experience and established relationships will help us foster stronger ties and greater coordination with the local organizations and individuals already working to mitigate and prevent homelessness in Mobile.”
In his new role, Young will work within the Department of Public Safety to launch a Homeless Outreach Team using officers from the Mobile Police Department. Using a model that has proven impactful in other communities, this team will seek to proactively engage with Mobile’s unhoused residents to build trust, offer support and connect them to vital community resources.
“We are incredibly proud of Kendell for taking on the role of the City of Mobile’s first-ever Homeless Outreach Coordinator. His dedication and expertise have been invaluable to the mission and values of Housing First, and we are excited about the enhanced partnership his new role presents,” Derek Boulware, CEO of Housing First, Inc., said. “Together, with the city, we look forward to facing the challenges of our homeless community in a greater way than ever before.”
Led by Young, the Homeless Outreach Team will also collaborate closely with community partners like AltaPointe, the Mobile County Health Department and Housing First to address matters related to mental health and substance abuse, emergency shelter needs, transitional housing, and public health.
Working with nonprofit services like the Waterfront Rescue Mission, Salvation Army, McKemie Place, Ransom Ministries, and others, the Homeless Outreach Team will work to better understand the state of homelessness in the city, its contributing factors and how to best serve those affected by it.
“I’m honored to take on this new role with the City of Mobile, and I want to thank the teams at Housing First and Waterfront Rescue Mission for all I learned during my time with their organizations,” Young said. “Together with these and other critical partners, we will work tirelessly to support citizens in our homeless community who are looking to regain stability and thrive.”
Earlier this summer, the City of Mobile joined representatives from AltaPointe and Housing First Inc. on a trip to Harris County, Texas, to learn more about how law enforcement officers are spearheading the coordination of community services and the mitigation of homelessness in the Houston area.
Together, these agencies are looking to implement some of the things working in their community here in Mobile. Bringing Young on to the staff represents a significant step forward in the City of Mobile’s commitment to fostering a compassionate and more effective approach to homelessness.
