Western CoC Strategic Plan
For years, the agencies and organizations that comprise the Western PA CoC have worked to provide housing and services to those experiencing homelessness. Through these agencies and organizations, thousands of individuals and families are provided with shelter and assistance to find new homes and regain stability in those homes. Still, homelessness remains a pressing issue for too many in our region.
Feeling a sense of urgency and a commitment to end homelessness in our region, the Western PA CoC adopted a Five-Year Strategic Plan to Reduce and End Homelessness on June 29, 2017. This plan embraces bold goals and describes various concrete strategies for achieving these goals, which include reducing and ending homelessness among various subpopulations.
Our Goals
Through the Strategic Plan, the CoC has set the following goals to achieve by 2021:
- Reduce all homelessness by 50%.
- End chronic homelessness (achieve/maintain functional zero).
- End Veterans homelessness (achieve/maintain functional zero).
- Reduce homelessness among families with children by 50% (households), achieve/maintain functional zero for unsheltered families with children & reduce the number of families with children in transitional housing by at least 50%.
- Reduce homelessness among unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness by 50%.
- Set a path to end all forms of homelessness: families with children, youth, couples, singles, people with disabilities including addiction, and those fleeing domestic violence.
Our Strategies
To achieve the bold goals listed above, the CoC has identified the several strategies to pursue, including:
- Expand affordable housing resources
- Increase leadership, collaboration & civic engagement
- Improve economic security and increase income
- Expand & align resources
- Retool & strengthen the homelessness assistance system
- Improve capacity for data collection & analysis
The Strategic Plan includes action steps for each of these strategies to help guide the work of the CoC.
Join Us!
To end homelessness in Western PA, we need your help! To learn more about the Western PA CoC’s Strategic Plan and how you can join our effort to reduce & end homelessness, contact Ciarra Karnes at westernpa@dma-housing.com.