Welcome to Triangle United Way. What matters.

For Immediate Release: February 24, 2005
Contact: Mary Jean Seyda, CASA, 754-9960, ext. 6

Wake County, Raleigh, partners launch 10-Year Action Plan to End Homelessness;
$2.69-Million HUD grant awarded

Raleigh, NC - Local officials today launched a 10-year plan that pledges to effectively end homelessness in Raleigh and Wake County by the year 2015. At a news conference today, federal and local officials announced a $2.69-million federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant to support people who are homeless. The grant will strengthen Wake County efforts to provide transitional and permanent housing, rental subsidies and support services for this population.

The 10-Year Action Plan to End Homelessness will be unveiled for the community tonight at 6:30 at the First Baptist Church, 99 Salisbury St. The local plan is the work of a partnership of the City of Raleigh, Wake County, Wake Continuum of Care and Triangle United Way. The number of people who are homeless in Wake County, as recorded by a count on the night of January is 1,106.

Wake County's HUD grant targets homeless youth, families and individuals dealing with mental illness and substance abuse. Other causes of homelessness include domestic violence, aging out of the foster care system and lack of adequate job skills to thrive in the community.

"Our board is excited and pleased with this plan," said Joe Bryan, chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners. "It represents a true community approach to dealing with the multifaceted issue of homelessness."

The 10-Year Action Plan addresses the complex problems that many homeless people face. It includes defined outcomes for the use of resources from federal, state and local government and other agencies.

The Plan seeks to reverse negative trends such as the 11-percent annual growth in the number of homeless families, and also addresses the 25,000-unit gap in affordable housing. The average fair-market rent of a two-bedroom apartment in Wake County is $799 per month, meaning that a worker would have to earn $11.57 per hour to afford to live in such an apartment.

"The 10-Year Action Plan reflects our firm commitment and hard-won wisdom about how to prevent and end homelessness in Raleigh and Wake County," said Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker.

In addition to Meeker and Bryan, speakers at today's press conference included Congressman Brad Miller; Philip Mangano, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness; and Edward Ellis, Greensboro-based HUD field director.

Raleigh/Wake County is the 100th community nationally to respond to Mangano's challenge to the nation's mayors to undertake the challenge of ending homelessness in 10 years. This effort, spearheaded by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, now includes more than 175 cities and counties, including all of the communities that make up the Triangle.

With the completion of their 10-Year Plan Wake County and the City of Raleigh join a national partnership of more than 175 cities and counties committed to a management strategy to end homelessness," indicated Philip F. Mangano, Executive Director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, the point person for the Bush administration on homelessness. "The extensive community involvement and inclusion of innovative ideas positions this plan to end the human tragedy of homelessness in Wake and Raleigh."

Key accomplishments leading to plan's success over the next decade include:

• Creation of a Safe Haven Program for those who are chronically homeless and have serious mental illness or substance abuse disorders. In Wake County, 22 percent of the people who are homeless are chronically homeless, nearly twice the national average.
• Establishing a city/county Housing Trust Fund with annual recurring investment to increase the supply of permanent affordable housing. Currently, 25,000 more units of affordable housing are needed to meet demand in Wake County.
• Affordable options for job training and retraining. The majority of adults who are homeless work a full- or part-time job for low wages, maintaining their cycle of homelessness. The 10-Year Action Plan calls for 20 local business leaders to commit to hiring people who are homeless, recently homeless or at-risk of homelessness.
• Opening of the Healing Place for Women and Children, scheduled for 2006, to alleviate the limited shelter space available for women and children.

The 10-Year Action Plan is a work in progress. Help from the community is still needed to effectively implement the plan. View the complete plan by clicking here and learn how you can get involved during the five Tuesdays of March.

#####