New Programs in New Zealand and Egypt, Sheltering Families in Cambodia, Analyzing Homelessness in Po

Seattle, Washington Revives Plan for Affordable Housing at Fort Lawton

The city of Seattle is rebooting their development plan to build affordable housing units on the unoccupied Fort Lawton Army Reserve Center for people experiencing homelessness. The previous attempt to develop this affordable housing project in 2009 failed due to state environmental concerns. Much like the previous plan, the city is hoping for the development of 75 to 100 new permanent housing units to be allocated to people experiencing homelessness. Before the plan is to be presented to City Council this fall, department officials will welcome public feedback on the plan and conduct an environmental-impact study. The city housing department hosted the first of two public meetings, laying out its new vision for the unoccupied center this past Monday.

Read the full article here.

Homelessness in Lisbon, Portugal

According to the Homeless Planning, Intervention and Monitoring Center (NPISA), there are 2,051 people identified as experiencing homelessness in the capital city of Portugal. Approximately 334 of this population is experiencing street homelessness and about 1,717 live in some form of emergency accommodation. One plan for social inclusion of this population is an effort of integration into the labor market. The city plans to build a restaurant and present people who are experiencing homelessness with the opportunity to work there - as catering is considered to be one of the largest areas of employment in the city. NPISA is composed of City Hall, Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa, Social Security and solidarity institutions - a total of 25 partners. They collectively provide resources and services to the people experiencing homelessness across Lisbon.

Read the full article here. (This article's original text is in Portuguese)

Supported-Living Project for Rough Sleepers in Napier, New Zealand

The City Council of Napier, New Zealand is backing a supportive-housing project for people sleeping rough in the city. Due to the success of a pilot run of the supported-living project, the project received funding from the New Zealand government, allowing Whatever It Takes Trust (WIT) to offer permanent development to the city of Napier. City Council will also provide other resources for the project, such as committing staff time and providing guiding advice on the development and management of the housing site. Natasha Carswell - Manager of Community Strategies for the City Council - believes that this model shows people who are sleeping rough a new way of living, providing them with targeted resources to help them work through any issues that might have led them to rough sleeping. Carswell says, "it’s about demonstrating that there are viable, safe and supported alternatives".

Read the full article here.

National Program for Children Experiencing Homelessness in Egypt

The 'National Program for the Protection of Homeless Children' in Egypt launched this week. Launched by the Ministry of Social Solidarity and the Fund for Long Live Egypt, the program will focus on combating homelessness among school-aged children across the country. It will be implemented through the work of trained specialists, as well as the participation of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Specialists will tend to the children's mental and physical health and overall well-being until they complete school. Monoufia Governor, Dr. Hisham Abdel Basset, says the aim of the program is for the children to be integrated into society and to prevent the children from becoming involved in delinquency and extremism.

Read the full article here.

Mith Samlanh: Sheltering Cambodian Families Experiencing Homelessness

Mith Samlanh, a local nongovernmental organization (NGO) of Cambodia, has provided shelter to some 5,100 children and their parents experiencing homelessness. While receiving shelter, the children also receive training on a number of different trades and skills, such as mechanics, tailoring and learning other languages. According to Sokhom Pin, a Program Coordinator for the NGO, the skills that the children learn are intended to prepare them to work in the private sector, as well as generate further income for the organization. Like many other NGOs of Cambodia, Mith Samlanh previously relied on donations to fund their services but, was left to find alternative means of funding due to a decrease in donor funding. However, they have since looked to the opening of small businesses to fill the financial gaps. The organization has fostered a 60 to 70 percent employment rate for the children who exit their program.

Read the full article here.

How Has Connecticut Decreased Homelessness by 24 Percent?

Columbus House is the oldest shelter for people experiencing homelessness in New Haven, Connecticut. They are a component of a large network of partners working towards solving homelessness in the area. Connecticut has significantly decreased the number of people experiencing homelessness in the state. According to the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness' latest point-in-time count, homelessness in the state is down by 24 percent since the year 2014. The state also reached an effective end to veteran homelessness last year, 2016. How has the state managed to make such remarkable strides? In the 2010 Opening Doors initiative, the federal-level goals and principles that President Obama laid out for nationwide homelessness reduction became Connecticut’s blueprint for tackling homelessness. The coordinated measures that followed are a significant reason behind Connecticut's success in tackling the issue.

Read the full article here.

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