Homeless Help: Finding Solutions to Homelessness Issues

A project of
Community Progress
& the
Friendship Fellowship

The Growing Crisis

Homelessness affects 2 – 3 million individuals in the United States every year*. For many people, homelessness can be a short, one-time event. However, as the poverty trend increases in America more people have been experiencing homelessness repeatedly or for long periods and that fact places heavy demands on available assistance. The time has come to help the many in dire need experiencing chronic homelessness especially poor adults with prevalent disabilities.

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The Coalition for Community Concerned
A partnership between the Friendship Fellowship and Community Progress is a consortium of local leaders, civic minded citizens among other like minded stakeholders promoting both a regional
and national dialogue on strategies for improving behavioral attitudes and public awareness on relevant social issues such as homelessness.

In creating relevance for a new commission
Without conscious, concerted attention to improving conditions that cause homelessness which include better response ability, interagency communication, resource availability for the affected, addiction help, health care, job training and permanent housing opportunities and sustainable education efforts the situation cannot remedy itself. Without a massive change of policy or social agenda (being proposed) that can first effectively eradicate the causes and conditions of chronic homelessness the challenge is presented for each individual to do something that can positively change things. This is the pivotal issue that cuts across all domains and with our sights set on fundraising and increasing public awareness, this is the consensus of the New Year Commission's work in forming our HH Coalition.

Michael D. Ratner, Co-Chair
Melanie Erceg, PhD, Co-Chair

*Statistics are according to US Dept of Health and Service 2003. Government figures are reflected in this executive report

Issue a national call for unity and public outcry for the cause of ending homelessness. We aim to voluntarily conduct ourselves in a manner that enriches our coalition’s ability to meet the current crises and offer assessment tools that improve effectiveness and create positive support systems. Our self assessment should examine key issues including the extent to which resources are made available, outreach is interdisciplinary, culturally competent, evidence-based, competency-driven, and public oriented (inviting) and family-centric.
Create a platform using this website as a virtual model, portable curricula for the training of direct care and aids in outreach.
Create first a local support network of allied help agencies for ‘all people’ who are currently experiencing or who have experienced or facing homelessness. This effort includes activists and advocates, community-based and faith-based service providers, and others committed to a single mission. That mission, our common bond, is to end homelessness.
We are committed to creating the systemic and attitudinal changes necessary to prevent and end homelessness. At the same time, we work, gather ideas & fundraise to meet the immediate needs of people who are currently experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of doing so.
We take as our first principle of practice that people who are currently experiencing homelessness or have formerly experienced homelessness can be actively involved in all of our work. Let all help to establish knowledge transfer centers towards developing new economic sustainable opportunities, transition curricula, train for employment, and assist existing education programs in achieving reform and increase good will effectiveness.
Require federally supported projects to employ teaching methods of demonstrated helper effectiveness and strategies for fostering sustainable change in aid practice patterns.
Ensure that all government funded training on homelessness and mental health involve those affected in its design and addresses issues of cultural competence, family support & housing.
Develop strategies to increase inclusion of various advocacy groups in preventing violence perpetrated against the homeless.
Working with coalition partners for the Homeless to call on Congress for a General Accounting Office (GAO) investigation into the nature and scope of people experiencing homelessness.