The City of Tucson has committed to following a Housing First approach

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Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness (ACEH)


** WEEKLY DIGEST
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** The City of Tucson has committed to following a Housing First approach
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“The Housing First approach to homelessness holds that a safe and affordable roof over one’s head is a prerequisite to health, economic well-being, and self-sufficiency.”

- City of Tucson People, Communities, and Homes Investment Plan, 2020.


The City of Tucson follows a Housing First approach in all housing programs for people experiencing homelessness managed or funded by the Housing & Community Development Department. Housing First is an evidence-based approach to ending homelessness that centers on quickly moving people experiencing homelessness into independent and permanent housing, and then providing additional supports and services as needed.

The Housing First approach includes five key pillars, all of which are equally important and needed to promote successful housing outcomes for people experiencing homelessness.


** 1. Immediate access to housing with no pre-conditions
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Housing First programs do not require people to have a job or participate in behavioral health, substance abuse treatment, or other services to access housing. Research shows that people are best able to benefit from these services and make personal changes to improve their housing stability after they have a permanent roof over their head.



** 2. Participant Choice and Self-Determination
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Housing First programs acknowledge that each person’s experience is different and that every person, regardless of their housing status, has the right to make their own decisions. This includes where to live, what types of services to participate in and where, and the support to make their own decisions about employment and personal goals.



** 3. Recovery Orientation
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People experiencing homelessness have often experienced trauma, both while homeless and before becoming homelessness. Trauma associated with domestic abuse, mental illness, and other issues are often the cause of homelessness and are worsened by experiences of social isolation, stigmatization, and violence on the streets. Housing First programs are designed to acknowledge trauma and provide supportive services that help people recover from those traumas including behavioral health services, substance abuse treatment, legal services, case management, goal setting, and independent living skills.



** 4. Individualized and Participant-Driven Supports
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Housing First programs do not use a one size fits all approach. Each person’s needs, strengths, and motivation are unique to them. Instead of requiring all participants to engage in a set of standard supportive services, Housing First programs offer a menu of services tailored specifically to the goals and needs of each participant, providing encouragement and support to help them succeed.



** 5. Social and Community Integration
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Shame, isolation, and stigma result in social isolation and disconnect people experiencing homelessness from the larger community. Housing First programs help participants re-connect to positive social and community engagement. Housing services are provided within neighborhoods throughout the City and support participants as they connect with neighbors, employment, and recreational activities – all of which are important aspects of community connectedness and well-being.
Learn More About Housing 1st & Tuscon's Plan Moving Forward ([link removed])


** Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness Updates
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The Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness (ACEH) works with allies in the community to design, create, and lead the implementation of the Anchorage community plan on homelessness. More about ACEH ([link removed])


** Outreach Update
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For questions, please reach out to Jason Cates at [email protected] (mailto: [email protected])


** Local Updates
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** Tabulation Live Stream
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The Division of Elections is partnering with KTOO and Gavel Alaska to provide live stream election coverage - Below is information from DOE. The livestream will be completely separate from all DOE functions. (attached is a flyer from DOE)

KTOO will provide live Gavel Alaska special coverage of RCV tabulation on Nov 23 starting at 4pm Alaska Time. It will be broadcast live on KTOO 360TV (available via broadcast, cable, satellite, ARCS tv services across AK, and can be streamed live on [link removed] ([link removed])

The video will be available after the event for on-demand viewing in the Gavel Alaska online archive at [link removed] ([link removed]) All the ways to watch are available online at [link removed] ([link removed]) Coverage will be made available to the other media organizations.


** Convenient voting at our Nat'uh Service Center!
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Cook Inlet Tribal Council is hosting an Absentee Polling Station in Anchorage with @Get Out The Native Vote ([link removed][0]=AZWXjJRMyiBHETFD8UDv6aDdrU4FacvIM2v40XU8RLLhbo0crTOhIDsAJnqiOwdRKvhD4Jb8C_264z_i4YlmU0w4c0aKo_s9ETqQIE5iHeKNHb09TWZzYmY9gTJusSEzt_pfFqBLoijG8nwsYNMSdw0a4QwrZVGS82A7EHZ-8sg8jyP5aq1fKTBlnjHGBFplFPwg_-GkUc0yqfa4SBGQQQ6k&__tn__=kK-y-R) .

This week and up to the day before Election Day on November 8: Any hour between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Any registered Alaskan can come find their precinct ballot at our location, and you can vote with confidence in the election process!


** Everyone Deserves a Safe Place to Sleep
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SLEEP OUT TO #ENDYOUTHHOMELESSNESS
Give up your bed for one night to ensure that youth facing homelessness can sleep safely at Covenant House.
Contact The Development Team at Covenant House Alaska at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or 907-339-4406
Learn More ([link removed])


** National Updates
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** Community Solutions
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Improving equity in housing systems

Nassau and Suffolk Counties in New York reformed their homeless response system to more equitably serve their clients.

After analyzing quality data on people experiencing homelessness, the local homeless response team in Nassau and Suffolk Counties began to see disparities, such as how long a person was experiencing homelessness or how long it took them to access resources.

Realizing there was more to the story, the team harnessed qualitative data analysis to further understand how people of different races were experiencing the system.

“We were just being really human-centered and looking at the human experience looking at the human experience that people locally have to navigate, and the systems and barriers that they face along the way,” said Mike Giuffrida, Associate Director for the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless. “That’s where we believe the best solutions to homelessness locally are.”
Read More ([link removed])


** U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness
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COLLABORATE, DON’T CRIMINALIZE: HOW COMMUNITIES CAN EFFECTIVELY AND HUMANELY ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS


Criminalizing homelessness is becoming more common. While laws that criminalize homelessness have long been in existence, recent years have witnessed many states and communities across the United States enacting laws that fine and arrest people for doing activities in public that are otherwise legal in the setting of a home: sleeping, sitting, eating, drinking.

These policies are ineffective, expensive, and actually worsen ([link removed]) the tragedy of homelessness. There is a better way to respond to this crisis.
Read More ([link removed])
ACEH Weekly Digest for 11/2/2022
Please reach out to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]?subject=ACEH%20Weekly%20Digest) if you have questions, suggestions, or resources you would like to share in the weekly digest.

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