|
|
|
|
|
A single mother of two young children with no job, little child support and living in a shelter needed help to connect as her family was not a support to her anymore. Ryan Keiser, Pottstown Housing Resource Center Coach was assigned this mother's case to help her find housing. Ryan did much more than that as she listened to her, advocated, and believed that she could be stable. Less than one year later this mother is employed full-time, paying all of her bills and saving money. She is participating in on-going therapy and reconnecting with her own mother. Ryan shared a quote from the client, "I don't know what I would have done with out this program."
|
|
|
Landlord Goes the Extra Mile
|
|
|
Norristown Housing Resource Center honors landlords Dave and Scott Kennedy as "Landlord of the Year 2015" for going above and beyond in assisting a Your Way Home client. Ann Garcia, Housing Locator contacted Dave and Scott about helping to house a homeless veteran. Within 24 hours, Dave had a unit available, showed the unit to the veteran and an inspection was ordered. Unfortunately an issue arose with getting the electric turned on for the inspection due to a prior tenant having a significant outstanding bill. Dave spent over five hours on the phone with the electric company on December 23rd and was successful. Dave attributes his success with the electric company to sharing the information regarding Montgomery County's proclamation to end veteran homelessness by the end of 2015. The inspection occurred and the Veteran moved in to the unit prior to the end of the year deadline. Scott shared, "We provide affordable housing to help low-income people. We are glad to be part of Your Way Home."
|
|
On January 4th, Your Way Home joined other leading communities around the country in launching a fully coordinated intake, assessment, and referral process within its HMIS for all housing crisis services.
Diversion has been re-launched as Housing Counseling. Housing Counseling has been shown to be effective in preventing most households from entering emergency shelter by finding alternative housing and connecting to supportive services prior to entering the homeless system. To expand on our success, now all emergency shelters are providing Housing Counseling to any doubled-up household prior to intake into an emergency shelter. As well, Housing Resource Centers are now providing additional Housing Counseling services for Senior Adults over age 60 through a partnership with the Montgomery County Office of Aging and Adult Services.
North Penn Community Health Foundation has generously provided scholarships for some of our Emergency Shelters and Housing Resource Center staff to attend the 2016 National Conference on Ending Youth and Family Homelessness this coming February 17-19 in Oakland, CA.
|
|
|
Housing Counseling Partnership
|
|
|
An elderly couple (over age 60) contacted the Your Way Home Call Center as they were out of oil and reported it was 28 degrees in their home – through a partnership with the Office of Aging and Adult Services, Your Way Home and the North Penn Housing Resource Center was able to provide them with 150 gallons of oil which allowed them the stay safely in their home.
|
|
Montgomery County Ends Veteran Homelessness
|
|
|
|
On January 7, 2016 the Montgomery County Commissioners officially declared the end to veteran homelessness in the county. Functional Zero has been reached which means that the county has a system in place that is capable of rapidly re-housing any future homeless veterans. To read the article click here
|
|
Your Way Home Awarded $25,000 Grant From Curaterra Foundation
|
|
|
Your Way Home is honored to receive a $25,000 grant from The Curaterra Foundation through the Your Way Home Fund at the Montgomery County Foundation, Inc. The grant will help end and prevent homelessness for families and individuals by providing gap funding to our Housing Resource Center stability coaches and housing locators.
|
|
Preparing for the Point-In-Time Street Count
|
|
|
Volunteers learning about safety procedures for the Winter Point-In-Time Street Count coming up on January 28, 2016. Forty volunteers (five teams) will be searching the county from 10:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. for homeless individuals and families.
|
|
Sonia Stramm, Your Way Home Learning Collaborative Facilitator
|
|
|
Sonia J. Stamm, Founder and Principal of Stamm Consultancy Inc., brings over twenty-five years of experience in management consulting, leadership development, facilitation, and training in the nonprofit sector. She has worked with a wide range of nonprofit and entrepreneurial enterprises in the areas of board development, leadership transition and succession, executive hiring, and organizational effectiveness. In 2008, she established Stamm Consultancy Inc. to guide nonprofits through critical junctures in their development. Your Way Home welcomes Sonia as the new Learning Collaborative Facilitator.
|
|
YWH POINT-IN-TIME STREET COUNT
January 28, 2016
10:00 p.m. - 1:30 a.m.
|
|
|
YWH Learning Collaborative Meeting
January 29, 2016 10:15-12:15 pm
Community Partners Center for Health & Human Services, Walton Room
2506 N Broad Street Colmar
|
|
|
Clarity HMIS Training
February 3, 2016 10:30-12:00 pm
Human Services Center, Dept of Housing
5th Floor, 1430 DeKalb Street Norristown
|
|
|
Your Way Home Montgomery County is a transformational partnership between government, philanthropy, nonprofits and community partners to end homelessness and housing instability for hardworking families and vulnerable residents throughout Montgomery County, which will make our community stronger for everyone.
If you aren’t familiar with us, you can learn more at our website (yourwayhome.org).
|
|
|
|
|
|
To improve the housing stability, economic security and health of all Montgomery County residents.
|
|
|
|
|
|
By creating more coordination, collaboration, communication and accountability among government, philanthropic, nonprofit and community partners, we will achieve better health, housing and financial outcomes for the most vulnerable members of our community.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Our bold goal is to reduce homelessness in Montgomery County by over 50% in the next five years while exiting people from homelessness to permanent housing more rapidly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
