Program to Help People Transition into Permanent Housing in Auckland, New Zealand
A two-year pilot study has secured permanent housing for nearly 40 individuals experiencing chronic street homelessness in Auckland, New Zealand. Moira Lawler, CEO of Lifewise, explained that the program aimed at placing individuals into permanent housing first, then providing the necessary support to address their co-occurring issues. The organizations behind the program hope to end homelessness for about 472 individuals living on the streets of Auckland.
“Many of our rough sleepers experience mental health issues, substance use and physical health challenges. To focus on recovery and self-sufficiency within a safe environment is a crucial first step,” said Lawler.
Read the article here.
The National Symposium on Solutions to End Youth Homelessness
In collaboration with the New York University’s McSilver Institute for Poverty and Research, Point Source Youth will be hosting their second annual National Symposium on Solutions to End Youth Homelessness on April 30 and May 1, 2018. Featured panel discussions include: Rapid Rehousing for Youth, Intersections of Health, Structural Barriers to Ending the Youth Homelessness Crisis, and more. There is expected to be over 120 speakers from the U.S. and Canada, such as the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, the Center for Social Innovation, and the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
Register here.
Street Homelessness in Bogotá
According to the Seventh Census for Street Homelessness conducted by the city’s District Department of Social Integration (SDIS), about 9,538 people are experiencing street homelessness in Bogotá, Colombia. Martyrs, Santa Fe, and Kennedy were the areas reported to have the most people living on the street. Figures show that nearly 9,000 of the population utilized support services, provided by the SDIS, at some point in 2017. Bogotá predicts that a budget increase with allow for expansion of homelessness prevention measures.
Read the article here.
USICH: Housing First Must Underpin Our Work System-wide
Policy Director at the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), Lindsay Knotts, reflects on the 2018 Housing First Partners Conference, hosted by the Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) and the Pathways Housing First Institute. According to Knotts, rather than debate the merits of housing first strategies to ending homelessness, people with lived experiences of homelessness, peers, service providers, researchers, advocates, experts, and federal and state partners, focused on gaining a better understanding of the approach and learning how to strengthen implementation. She highlighted a few key messages from the conference that examined benefits of housing first as a cost-efficient system orientation, response, and solution to homelessness.
Read the blog here.