Community leaders speak on new program to help homeless people in Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM, Ala ( WIAT ) — The City of Birmingham has announced a partnership with the organization Urban Alchemy to kick start the Homeless Engagement Assistance Response Team (HEART) Birmingham, a program meant to serve unhoused people in crisis.

The city has invested $1.7 million in this community based public safety program.

Kirkpatrick Tyler with Urban Alchemy said HEART intends to provide a safe space for homeless individuals and those in mental crisis.

Instead of police officers responding to non-emergency crisis calls involving homeless individuals or people in a mental crisis, a specialized team will respond, help deescalate and provide resources to help them.

“Nobody wants to feel like we’re in trouble when we’re going through crisis,” said Tyler.

Tyler said the teams are made up of community members who have shared similar experiences or are formerly incarcerated.

“That brings the empathy, an empathetic ear. That brings understanding and connection to the experience that you’re having and that is offering relationship, right? To say ‘how do we work through this together?'” said Tyler.

Tyler says the ultimate goal is to help them advance.

“The movement that we’re seeing is not about shuffling people around, but about offering connection resources and hope right here where we’ve met you,” said Tyler.

Perryn Carroll with the Jimmie Hale Mission has worked to provide resources and shelter to unhoused individuals in Birmingham for years.

Carroll said programs utilizing response teams like HEART are important and it’s a needed effort by the city to help those in crisis feel seen.

“We know that our growing population of homelessness is not going to stop without additional help, so we welcome additional services in the area,” said Carroll. “That’s probably the best way to deescalate a mental health crisis or other situation.”

The recruitment for the HEART teams has begun. Team members won’t go out into the community until January 2025.

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