Homelessness Working Group

Background
HWG News
HWG Meetings
HWG Members
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Background

Since 2003, the Homelessness Working Group (HWG) has focused on addressing the causes of and solutions to ending homelessness in San Diego County. 

The purpose of HWG is to prevent and reduce homelessness throughout the county by enabling funders and other stakeholders to have greater impact through advocacy, collaboration and education.  To accomplish this, the HWG is supporting the following actions:
  1. The implementation of Home Again - also known as San Diego County's 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness (PTECH).
    • Garner involvement of all significant stakeholders in PTECH implementation.
    • Facilitate use of all available state and local funds.
    • Assist in filling committees and chairs for PTECH implementation.
  2. The creation, adoption, and implementation of a regional plan to prevent and reduce short-term, episodic, and/or transitional homelessness among both urban and rural populations.
    • Promote public understanding of the issues surrounding short-term homelessness by convening, advocating and educating various constituencies.
    • Advocate the economic and social benefits of reducing and preventing homelessness.

The New Face of Homelessness: Families

Keys to Housing: Ending Family Homelessness

According to the San Diego County Office of Education's CDE Year-End Homeless Report (February 2011), nearly 13,000 children in our county will not be sleeping in their own homes; they will be sleeping on a friend’s couch, in a relative’s garage, in their parent’s car, in a shelter or on the street.

The HWG worked for a year and a half with a broad, cross-sector coalition of philanthropic, government, nonprofit, and other stakeholders to create a plan to end family homelessness called Keys to Housing: Ending Family Homelessness.  On Nov. 3, 2011, the Keys coalition launched KeystoHousing.org, an online platform featuring timely resources for families suffering from homelessness as well as for others interested in learning how to help end family homelessness.  An additional outcome of the Keys effort was the creation of the Toolbox to End Family Homelessness, which contains hundreds of potential policies and practices for reducing family homelessness that can be implemented across the county as most appropriate for each jurisdiction.  The Keys coalition is actively presenting the Toolbox to city councils in San Diego County for consideration.

HWG News:

HWG Milestones:

  • Convened Summit for Elected Leaders in February 2009 in coordination with the National Alliance to End Homelessness to present the new face of homelessness in our community.
  • Convened cities, county and service organizations; provided technical assistance to facilitate the approval of $13 million in Homeless Prevention and Rapid Rehousing funds from the 2009 American Recovery & Reinvestment Act.
  • Created numerous learning opportunities for stakeholders throughout the community.
  • Supported the Corporation for Supportive Housing to maintain a San Diego office and educate and assist potential supportive housing providers.
  • Facilitated a new link between universities and the Regional Task Force on Homelessness to create a research vision and support system.
  • Established a leadership/board presence on the Regional Task Force on Homelessness and the Plan to End Chronic Homelessness.

Find out more about the Homelessness Working Group by reading its San Diego Giving Stories profile. 

Meetings

Homelessness Working Group and Keys to Housing meetings are listed on the SDG online calendar.

Members

SDG Member Login

SDG members may log in to the Homelessness Working Group page within our Member Resources area for further information about this funding collaborative.