The Albany County Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness was the first such document in the Capital Region. Released in November 2005, the Plan was crafted by a diverse group of community leaders and has received the full endorsement of fifty local organizations.
The Plan is focused on six priority areas:
- Community Involvement — Increase investment of community members to end homelessness
- Prevention – Increase prevention resources as the first line of defense against homelessness
- Permanent Housing — Expand the availability of affordable housing throughout the County
- Chronic Homelessness — Increase the resources available to house and reach out to this population
- Income and Employment Opportunities – Strive to remove existing barriers to maintaining meaningful employment and income for those affected by homelessness
employment and/or income for homeless
- Supportive and Treatment Services – Strengthen community supports for homeless individuals and families
Perhaps most importantly, the Plan identifies 26 recommended strategies for ending homelessness in ten years. Those who crafted the Plan, however, realize that significant challenges remain. Looking ahead, they seek to address the root causes of homelessness, change the public perception of this problem, and create a sufficient amount of low-income housing for County residents.
The Albany County Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness is available in its entirety here (PDF, 375KB). For more information, feel free to contact CARES’ Techincal Assistance Unit at 518-489-4130.