Attendees will learn about the successes the Built for Zero initiative has already achieved from Council for the Homeless and community leaders
The Council for the Homeless 2021 “Making Home Possible” Luncheon is Thu., Oct. 21. The public is invited to join virtually at noon to learn how the Built for Zero initiative, led by Council for the Homeless, is changing the trend of homelessness for Veterans and people who have been homeless for a long time in Clark County. Attendees will learn about the successes the Built for Zero initiative has already achieved from Council for the Homeless and community leaders.
Keynote speaker Shantae Smith, representing the nationwide Built for Zero efforts, will describe how Built for Zero works to reduce homelessness.
The Built for Zero initiative was developed by the New York-based nonprofit, Community
Solutions. It has created collaborations in communities across the country that have notably ended homelessness for specific populations. Clark County’s own Built for Zero initiative collaborations have already resulted in a “shift” in the efforts to end homelessness.
The Making Home Possible luncheon will be a celebration of a year of accomplishments for Council for the Homeless. “The ongoing pandemic further underscores the value of our work coordinating among providers, increasing access to resources and creating connections for those who are in need of assistance.,” said Kate Budd, executive director.
Council for the Homeless and partners formally joined the Built for Zero initiative in 2020. The keynote speaker for the luncheon, Shantae Smith, guided us through the partnership’s formation and helped create a roadmap for Built for Zero’s implementation. With more than 15 local agencies working together on the Built for Zero initiative, local partners are collaboratively addressing veteran and chronic homelessness first.
“In the first six months of 2021, population specific groups have charted a downward shift in the number of homeless Veterans and people who are chronically unhoused in our community,”
Budd said. “This means the number of people who are being housed within these specific populations is higher than the number of people identified in the same population as houseless.
People who have lived on the streets for months and years are now living in stable, permanent housing thanks to this initiative and partners coming together. Our community is stronger because of Built for Zero.”
Making Home Possible Luncheon
Date and time: Oct. 21, 2021, noon-1 p.m.
Pre-register at https://www.councilforthehomeless.org/luncheon/
No charge to attend.
All who register receive local restaurant coupons and are eligible for prize drawings held during the event.
Learn more about Built for Zero:
https://community.solutions/built-for-zero/
https://www.joinbuiltforzero.org/
About Council for the Homeless
Council for the Homeless is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide community leadership, compelling advocacy, and practical solutions to prevent and end homelessness in Clark County.
Information provided by Clark Co. WA Communications.
