3 minute read
Family Homelessness is Solvable. JOIN US IN THE 100 DAY CHALLENGE.
Family Homelessness is Solvable.
Join us in the 100 Day Challenge.
By Collen Mayer, Chief Operating Officer and Jennifer Reason, Chief Program Officer
We believe family homelessness is solvable. Safe Haven’s vision is a Nashville community where family homelessness is rare, brief, and nonrecurring, a concept known as ‘functional zero.’ We believe we can bring this vision to reality with a coordinated collaboration throughout our community. While it is true that there will likely always be isolated instances of family homelessness in Nashville, our vision is that when this does happen, our community will be able to respond decisively and quickly so that every family facing homelessness will immediately be connected with resources and housing. The duration of experiencing homelessness for families should be brief and include the resources necessary to maintain housing so they do not face homelessness again.
To help move this vision forward, Safe Haven, and our partner United Way of Greater Nashville, have entered into a strategic partnership with Built for Zero, a movement of the Community Solutions organization. Built for Zero works with communities across the country to make long-term strategic plans to work towards functional zero. The movement and methodology are built on national homelessness best practices and provide proof of what is possible when communities work together towards a common goal. In the Built for Zero movement, over 100 cities and counties have committed to measurably ending homelessness for entire populations. Using data, these communities have changed how local homeless response systems work and the impact they can achieve. We are excited and honored that Built for Zero will be working with our Nashville community on their first effort to reach functional zero for family homelessness.
We have a lot of work to do of course, as the problem of family homelessness is pervasive in our community. There are over 400 families currently experiencing homelessness on the Nashville Coordinated Entry list. While some of those families have been connected to community partners to begin working on identifying housing and links to services, many others have not because the demand for services currently far exceeds the resources available to serve all of these families.
Yet in our community there is the will, energy, and expertise to respond to the crisis, reduce the waiting list, and move ever more quickly towards our vision of achieving functional zero. At the end of August, over 25 community partners are coming together to launch the 100 Day Challenge. Safe Haven is excited to be one of the lead agencies in this challenge, which has a goal to house 100 families in 100 days. Not only will this campaign highlight our community’s efforts to greatly lower the number of families on the waiting list for services, but it will also bring an awareness to the epidemic of family homelessness, which can often be hidden from the public eye. Be on the lookout soon for more information and ways you can get involved. You, our supporters, donors, and volunteers, are an integral part of Safe Haven’s work, and we look forward to working with you all on the 100 Days Challenge.
