The Housing Crisis Hotline is the central point of contact for all persons experiencing a housing crisis throughout Southeastern Virginia.
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Creating collaborative systems approaches to solving community problems has been the hallmark of the Foundation’s work. One of the first projects undertaken was to impact homelessness. In partnership with Ferguson Enterprises and the Peninsula Homeless Consortium, the Community Foundation conducted a comprehensive review of homelessness with approximately 40 local nonprofit agencies. This led to a partnership with ForKids Inc. and the creation of the first regional Housing Crisis Hotline. The hotline is now the central point of contact for all persons experiencing a housing crises in Southeast Virginia and serves 14 cities and counties. The program has helped deliver quality individualized solutions to achieve stability for thousands of Hampton Roads families and a lifetime of success for their children.
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Though homelessness is complex, the solution is actually quite simple: House the homeless!
Our goal is to work smarter and accomplish more, so we bring people together that might not otherwise be in the same room. For example, in 2013, we began working with a group of 45 nonprofit agencies around ending homelessness. We spent six months studying who was working in this area, what they were doing and how well it was being done.
By doing so, we identified several issues that could help not just one agency but every agency. With a generous grant from Ferguson Enterprises we helped create a central intake process (Housing Crisis Hotline) that got homeless persons to the right agency, on the first try and created a data system that allows service providers to determine if they are making a difference. The Hotline now serves the entire Hampton Roads region and receives thousands of calls every year. From those calls, families from all over the entire region receive emergency housing or rental assistance. These numbers demonstrate the tremendous impact we are making toward our goal of ending homelessness on the Peninsula.
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CORPORATE COMMUNITY PARTNER
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