We are keenly aware as a foundation that we can not immediately resolve all the presenting problems before us. We do however see an opportunity to join in collaboration with community partners to attempt to stem the flow of more of our neighbors becoming homeless and provide a model for those that are homeless a way to a sustainable stable future. The road before us will be a teaching road.

We will learn, we will modify and we will move forward. This is not a solution to the overall need, I do not stand here before you today representing that, this is not a panacea, one size fits all approach. Affordable housing, a homeless shelter, long term rental and homeowner education and assistance, elder and rehabilitation shelter care all need a solution. Those needs are larger than what we can resolve now, but it does not mean that we are not working towards them.

We are in a world of new realities. Real is the budget deficit the county is facing in the next fiscal year that will exceed 15 million. Real is the growth of that deficit to 30 million. Looking to government as the single provider to solutions is no longer a viable option in my opinion . I am mindful that the county revenue pie is only so big, a bigger piece here, means someone, some service is going to loose and that pie is getting smaller with each passing day. As each home is foreclosed, as each resident moves out of El Dorado County, we all loose.

Our schools loose with their lower enrollment, our business owners loose with less local income and our county looses with loss in tax revenue and our neighborhoods loose with vacant homes, silent senteniles of lost hopes and evaporated dreams.

I know this is not enough, I know we need to do more, but here we start, here we go from vision to implementation….we have a plan and we start today.

What El Dorado Community Foundation is doing

1. Series of Convenings

Since 2009, we’ve hosted five meetings of community-benefit organizations (representing over 20 programs) that provide long-term support to homeless families. Our goal was to examine existing assumptions, delve further into causal factors, encourage alignment with and focus on uniform outcomes and design an effective system of collaborative efforts.

As part of this process we have incorporated many community partners who are assuming key roles in developing a comprehensive plan of action:

• United Outreach
• Community Resource Center/Only Kindness Inc.
• El Dorado Advocates for the Homeless
• El Dorado County Human Services
• Home Loan Counseling Center of Sacramento
• Early results:
• New funder/grantee relationships that emphasize equal collaboration
• A strongly-aligned team of service providers
• Jointly-developed strategies for interventions
• Quantifiable measures that will guide program work and goals

2. Quantifiable Measures

Working together, the El Dorado Community Foundation sees the potential for achievement of these specific goals for homeless families entering into transitional housing through partnerships with the entities listed above.

• 95% of families link with a personal growth resource to build resilience against homelessness (six months)
• 80% of parents will take an active role in their children’s education
• 95% of families will remain housed (one year)
• 75% of families will move directly into permanent housing (18-24 months)
• 75% of families referred to loan modification programs will be able to attain successful intervention.

3. Five-Year Initiative

Our five-year initiative has these objectives:

• Build skills and resiliency of homeless families to prevent recurrence
• Increase effectiveness of homeless programs
• Work towards solutions to affordable housing in El Dorado County for fixed income individuals
• Identify major gaps in homeless family services
• Develop responses to fill these gaps
• Implement effective prevention and early intervention strategies

4. Initiative Funding Goals

• Our goal is to raise $100,000 this year for the creation of the Community Campaign for Sustainable Housing

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