The city of El Paso, Texas, has produced online resources to assist individuals and families facing a housing crisis. Under the banner of El Paso Helps, the city strives to place people struggling with homelessness in shelters.
People in need can interact with El Paso Helps by calling a counselor via Cisco Webex through a smart device or terminal. El Paso estimates that about 70% of at-risk individuals own a smartphone; those without access to a device can use city computer resources.
“The challenge was, how do we reach those people where they are? That’s what El Paso Helps does,” says Nicole Ferrini, El Paso’s director of community and human development. “It is an access point where El Pasoans in need can get services live and immediately.”
Through Webex, residents can talk face to face with a person about their problems, and that city employee can find appropriate resources to help.
Watch a Smarter Government video about El Paso Helps to learn more.
Cisco Helped El Paso Build Solutions
When the city realized the need to simplify city services, it turned to Cisco for help. Cisco became a partner to El Paso more than a decade ago, so “there was a lot of trust,” says Gary DePreta, Cisco senior vice president for public sector.
Over time, Cisco built a network infrastructure for El Paso that helped launch initiatives like El Paso Helps. Using Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series switches, El Paso strengthened its network. The 9300 series switches operate at a bandwidth, speed and scale necessary to support robust services with automation.
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Cisco deployed Webex and augmented it with its Virtual Office for Public Services solution, which fully integrates Webex into a website, enabling visitors to engage with live video calls with one click.
“The VOPS kiosk mode based on Webex devices gives customers the ability to deliver virtual offices in open spaces, such as libraries, town hall entrances and more,” Cisco notes.
“It’s a very simple interaction,” DePreta says. “Encryption is native to Webex.”
El Paso ensures the security of the cloud-based solution with a zero-trust architecture, he says.
Housing Services Available from the City of El Paso
Citing statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, El Paso estimates that 18.3% of its population lives in poverty, higher than the national average of 11.5%.
The city (2020 population: 678,815) says that 1,819 residents were using its services in June, the most recent month for which figures are available. Roughly half of those are using emergency shelters, and a smaller number have turned to the city for assistance with homelessness prevention, permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, street outreach and transitional living.
For those using municipal housing services, 47% are 25 to 55 years old.; 18% are 56 years old or older; 13% are 18 to 24 years old; and 21% are younger than 18.
El Paso Helps connects those in need with the appropriate housing services, officials say.
