New Efforts to Combat Homelessness in the U.S. and Scotland, A Plan for Social Inclusion in Spain, a
- Tiffany Connolly
- Sep 8, 2017
- 3 min read
Santa Monica Leaders Brainstorm on Solutions to Homelessness
A recent meeting held among Santa Monica, California leaders provided opportunity for deliberation regarding solutions to homelessness. As reported by Matthew Hall of the Santa Monica Daily Press, Mayor Ted Winterer and City Manager Rick Cole were present and both issued strong statements regarding the state of homelessness in the city. According to Mayor Winterer, homelessness has increased by 26% across the city. “We know permanent housing and jobs are the long-term solutions but our region is in the midst of a housing shortage making ideal solutions a real challenge,” stated Winterer. Cole added that solutions will consist of joint-efforts among businesses, civic agencies, nonprofits, faith groups and citizens and until concrete plans are established, the city will focus on “relentless engagement” to make sure that everyone who needs assistance receives it.
Read the article here.
BSHF Shares Lessons from the More Than Housing Program at Switzerland Convening
The Building and Social Housing Foundation (BSHF) will hold a week-long convening -- Monday, September 18 through Friday, September 22 in Zurich, Switzerland -- to share lessons from one of the largest housing co-operatives in Europe, More Than Housing. Participants from nine different countries - Cameroon, Greece, Poland, Serbia, Slovenia, UK, Italy, Turkey and Nicaragua - are in the process of establishing co-operatives of their own. The week will include site visits, opportunities to meet residents and learn about their life at the co-operative.
Read the article here.
New Efforts to Combat Homelessness in Florida Counties Taking Shape
In a previous blog post, we reported that in April 2017, the Florida Housing Coalition conducted a study that generated recommendations for government, nonprofit and private agencies to improve their approach to solving homelessness. Conclusions suggested that agencies increase coordination, improve data collection, meet the need for specific targeted outcomes and more housing and rely on existing agencies to carry out assistance to those experiencing homelessness. Zach Murdock of the Herald-Tribune writes about strategic improvements that are to be implemented across agencies and organizations. The pillar of these improvements will be abandoning individual tracking efforts and adopting the coordinated entry system.
Read the article here.
Plan of Inclusion for People Experiencing Homelessness in Cadiz, Spain
In a meeting held early this week regarding the 'Plan for Inclusion of Homeless People', leaders discussed the next steps to drive solutions to homelessness in Cadiz, Spain. As stated in the Europa Press article, Ana Fernández, Councilor of Social Affairs, has stressed the need to construct an action-oriented plan to address the issue. Fernández also acknowledged the need to deliver more comprehensive care to those experiencing homelessness. A working group will be designated to cultivate the plan and oversee its implementation.
Read the article here. (This article's original text is in Spanish.)
Scottish Government Announces £50 Million Fund to Tackle Homelessness
First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, announced the assembly of a Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group to work toward ending homelessness in Scotland. The government is said to have committed to investing £10 million each year for five years to fund efforts. According to Andrew Burns of The Big Issue, the action group's area of focus will be prevention -- addressing the root causes of homelessness in the country. Sturgeon stated that while the country is building social housing at a faster rate than any other part of the United Kingdom (UK), other factors, such as welfare cuts, may contribute to increasing homelessness. The national initiative is expected to include supportive services to be offered to people sleeping rough, as the government recognizes that every individual has unique needs and challenges that will require more than being housed.
Read the article here.
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