Partnership for Strong Communities

Ending Homelessness

Reaching Home is the campaign to build the political and civic will to prevent and end homelessness in Connecticut. With the vision that no one should experience homelessness, that no one should be without a safe, stable place to call home, Reaching Home embraces the following core values:

• Homelessness is unacceptable. It is solvable and preventable.
• There are no “homeless people,” but rather people who have lost their homes who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.
• Homelessness is expensive. Invest in solutions.
   

These values are at the heart of Opening Doors – CT, a framework to end homelessness in Connecticut, modeled after the federal Opening Doors plan to end homelessness. Reaching Home is the leadership structure for planning and oversight of Opening Doors – CT, which is based on the goals of the federal plan:

• Finish the job of ending chronic homelessness by 2016.
• Prevent and end homelessness among Veterans by 2016.
• Prevent and end homelessness among families, youth and children by 2021.
• Set a path to ending all types of homelessness.

The Reaching Home Campaign is guided by a Steering Committee and staffed by the Partnership for Strong Communities.

Hard Work and Effective Organization

The Reaching Home Campaign’s Steering Committee is a diverse coalition working across systems as well as sectors, such as housing, health, education, job training, and food insecurity. The Steering Committee includes representatives from various constituencies: advocates & intermediaries; government; local planning bodies; people experiencing homelessness; providers of housing and services; philanthropy; and private sector, institutions, and faith communities.

The broad base of the Steering Committee provides the support needed to develop the necessary coalitions at the local, regional and state levels to accomplish the goal of ending homelessness in Connecticut. In order to advance key strategies, the Steering Committee has chartered Working Groups which formally report back to the Steering Committee. The key strategies that provide the focus for the Working Groups include:

• Strengthening the state’s housing delivery system through the expansion of affordable and supportive housing.
• Retooling the crisis response system.
• Improving economic security through income growth and employment.
• Coordinating healthcare and housing stability.

A small Coordinating Committee of key partners assists in coordinating the efforts of Reaching Home, providing guidance to its Working Groups, and supporting the Steering Committee.  

Great Success, But More Work Ahead

The Reaching Home Campaign was launched in 2004 by a statewide Steering Committee with the goal of ending chronic homelessness in Connecticut through the creation of permanent supportive housing. The Campaign’s primary focus from 2004 through 2011 was on educating policymakers and the public about the effectiveness of permanent supportive housing in ending chronic homelessness. Today, there are more than 4,400 units of supportive housing in more than 80 municipalities across Connecticut.

With the launch of the Opening Doors - CT framework, Reaching Home will focus on building the political and civic will to prevent and end all forms of homelessness in Connecticut.  Reaching Home will continue to emphasize housing as an essential platform for human and community development. We believe that stable housing is the foundation upon which people build their lives and essential to building the strong, vibrant communities needed to end homelessness in our state.  

For housing assistance or services, please contact the United Way's InfoLine by dialing 2-1-1.