We would like to hear more from you, our critical partner, about what you think CHF should be doing in the next five years to help us fulfill our mission of providing solutions to homelessness in our community. We have a short survey for supporters that you can complete by clicking here!
Corvallis Housing First, The Next Five Years
With no end in sight to the homelessness crisis, where does CHF best fit into the array of housing and services in our community and state? This is a question we have been asking ourselves recently as we update our strategic plan and shape directions for our future. We have been meeting with clients, partners, and staff to find out what we should be focusing on in the next five years.
CHF goals from our 2018 strategic planning included:
- Increasing housing opportunities for people experiencing homelessness
- Expanding our supportive services staff and managerial positions to provide staff support and supervision they need
- Identifying sustainable funding and collaborating with others to develop housing alternatives.
We have met many of these goals, with most of our success being in expanding our housing to 40 units, with funding to add 46 more, and collaborating with organizations such as Unity Shelter and Samaritan Health Services to help people get into housing.
We have learned so much over the past five years and are still learning from our experiences and from others doing similar work. Providing supportive housing is a complex undertaking and takes a lot of resources. We have heard in the planning process that focusing on providing more support for clients and residents, building strong collaboration for services, and financial sustainability, are all important, as is being able to share stories about our work. We have seen possibilities and pitfalls from tours of other supportive housing sites, which has also been very helpful in reminding us we are a part of a larger effort across our state.