CACH Blueprint for Ending Homelessness

CACH Blueprint for Ending Homelessness Updated 2022

HOME RUN – Blueprint to End Homelessness in the County of Dauphin and the City of Harrisburg

2017 Revision Adopted by CACH March 6, 2017

 

Prepared by: The Blueprint Implementation Team
with contributions from The Capital Area Coalition on Homelessness (CACH)
and a Community of Stakeholders

 

In November 2006, the County of Dauphin and the City of Harrisburg adopted “HOME RUN: The Capital Area’s 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness” as the community’s coordinated plan for addressing the problem of homelessness. The initial plan helped marshal the community’s attention and resources to address homelessness with new vigor and direction. During the first five years of the plan, good progress was made in increasing housing units and the development of new services. In addition, many existing services to support homeless individuals and families were maintained and enhanced. All sectors of the community (public, private, and faith based) have committed extensive resources to this effort and worked diligently to help individuals and families that are homeless acquire needed services and permanent housing.

Since 2006, the Capital Area has made steady progress in addressing homelessness. New resources have been designed and implemented which has had a positive impact in reducing chronic homelessness as well as the unsheltered population. From our research and experience, we know the most common causes of homelessness, its duration, and its recurrence, are mental illness, the disease of addiction, eviction, job loss, domestic violence, and poor money management. Contributing societal, economic, and systemic factors include the high cost of healthcare, lack of healthcare insurance, lack of a living wage, increasing cost of housing, an insufficient supply of affordable housing, and difficulties in accessing mainstream services like SNAP, Supplemental Security Income, Supplemental Security Disability Income, State Child Health Insurance Plan, and Medical Assistance. Poor credit, lack of work, and a criminal history are significant barriers to obtaining permanent housing.
HOME RUN recognizes the complexity of these issues. Specifically, it acknowledges that while existing homeless supportive services (public, private, faith based) are of high quality, specialized and affordable, the area’s homeless system at times falls short in making timely and effective connection of clients to these services and lacks sufficient supply of permanent housing.

 

The human and financial costs of homelessness are staggering. Improving outreach and engagement is crucial. Organizations (public, private, faith based) in the CACH Network offer excellent products and services. The Blueprint Implementation Team’s research, however, clearly revealed that more must be done.

 

With the adoption of HOME RUN by the County of Dauphin and the City of Harrisburg, and the continued leadership of CACH as the Blueprint Manager, the stage has been set to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring in our community.