‎100,000 Homes Campaign Now Reaches 50 Community Partners!

100,000 homes campaign reaches the “big 50” – in a month! austin and louisville among newest communities to sign on to national campaign to house long term and vulnerable homeless
 
Aug. 19, 2010 - PRLog -- 100,000 Homes Campaign

C/o Common Ground National

14 East 28th Street

New York, New York 10016

For Immediate Release                           Contact: Howard Leibowitz

August 18, 2010                                                          212-471-0854/617-947-0762

100,000 HOMES CAMPAIGN REACHES THE “BIG 50” – IN A MONTH!

AUSTIN AND LOUISVILLE AMONG NEWEST COMMUNITIES TO SIGN ON TO NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO HOUSE

LONG TERM AND VULNERABLE HOMELESS

One month ago, as the 100,000 Homes Campaign prepared its official launch of a national effort to house 100,000 long term and vulnerable homeless by July of 2013, thirty three communities were committed and ready to move forward.  Today, just over one month following the announcement of the Campaign, fifty communities are now on board – a fifty percent increase!  

Becky Kanis, the Director of the 100,000 Homes Campaign, welcomed the new communities, saying, “We are so gratified that all across the country, individuals and organizations are jumping into this campaign with both feet, making a commitment to prioritize the chronic homeless, and lining up the resources needed in terms of housing, services and outreach.  It is solid proof that people in this country want to end homelessness, and if you can show them a clear pathway to progress, they will sign on to help in great numbers.”

Among the communities most recently joining the campaign are Austin, Texas and Louisville, Kentucky, as well as Sylmar and Santa Clarita, California.  They join New York City, Los Angeles County, Chicago, Phoenix, Denver, San Diego and many other American cities who have pledged their help toward reaching the “100,000” goal in slightly less than three years.

Ms. Kanis noted that, “As we approach the fall, a number of these communities will host “Registry Weeks”, a community mobilization effort that sends staff and volunteers to the streets at 4:00 a.m. for several days, to reach out and talk with homeless individuals, ascertain their needs, prioritize those in the gravest situations and organize the resources needed to save lives and change lives.  We are beginning in Chicago and San Diego, and will move on to Omaha, Dallas, and other cities through the end of 2010.”  

Several of the newest communities commented on joining the 100,000 Homes Campaign as follows:

“We in Austin are very excited to be a partner in the 100,000 Homes Campaign. This campaign will connect us to other cities and “change agents” around the country that have been effective in eliminating chronic homelessness. It is so important to see/know the names and faces of persons experiencing homelessness, and we are proud to be innovators in this amazing opportunity. ”

Wanda Robins, Co-Chair, Continuum of Care Committee, Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO), Austin, Texas

“Our homeless coalition wanted to get involved in the campaign and we chose Sylmar – one of the communities in the San Fernando Valley – to be our initial focus due to the fact that Sylmar is home to a winter shelter program and has numerous pockets of homelessness.  We view this as a challenge that we must accept to ensure that the most vulnerable are placed in permanent housing.”

John Horn, Co-Chair, San Fernando Valley Homeless Coalition

Rosanne Haggerty, the President and Founder of Common Ground, the non-profit organization that launched the Campaign, added that, “We welcome anyone and everyone who wants to work with us to house 100,000 long term and vulnerable homeless.  In each community that signs on, we will work to link the organizers with some or all of our national partners, from the United Way to the National Association of Public Hospitals to the private sector and the clergy.  We will connect them with the best practitioners and we will bring in representatives of the President’s Interagency Council on the Homeless to devise better and faster ways to connect people with housing and services.”  A recent Campaign conference call regarding access to Veterans Administration housing vouchers shaved weeks off processing time, once a number of best practices were combined.

Finally, the Campaign announced that as of August 17, 5,613 homeless people had found housing through the participating communities. Ms. Haggerty pledged regular updates, adding, “As more and more communities sign on, are trained, hold Registry Weeks and secure housing, I have no doubt these numbers will continually grow toward our 100,000 Homes goal.”

-30-

# # #

National effort to house 100,000 long term and vulnerable homeless by july of 2013, working with community partners
End
100,000 Homes Campaign News
Trending
Most Viewed
Daily News



Like PRLog?
9K2K1K
Click to Share