Affordable Housing and Homelessness

In 2017, the Partnership for Better Health launched a new initiative to reduce homelessness in Cumberland and Perry Counties by advancing systemic strategies that will increase access to permanent housing and expand economic opportunities for low-income individuals and families. Understanding that success will require many partners working together on shared goals, we formed a Leadership Advisory Council on Housing Systems Change.

In January 2018, the Advisory Council developed and adopted a Housing Systems Change Roadmap for Cumberland and Perry Counties. The purpose of the roadmap is to:

  1. Guide future Partnership for Better Health grants and investments in systemic change strategies that are comprehensive in nature and designed to improve all aspects of how a set of organizations or systems
  2. Inspire, engage and mobilize public, private and nonprofit organizations to work collectively towards a better system for connecting families and individuals experiencing or at risk for homelessness with safe and affordable housing opportunities; and,
  3. Ensure residents have full access to the Eastern Pennsylvania Continuum of Care’s new Coordinated Entry System for accessing federally and state-funded homeless prevention, housing and supportive services.

The Partnership and the Leadership Advisory Council envision a coordinated and robust housing system, in which:

  • Homelessness is rare, brief and non-recurring for all families and individuals;
  • All residents have access to safe and affordable housing opportunities;
  • People can easily access childcare, education and employment opportunities, as well as health, legal, mental health and other services that foster permanent housing stability and self-sufficiency; and
  • A safe place to call home is the cornerstone for healthy people, thriving communities, educational success and a vibrant economy.

In 2019, the foundation launched a second foundation initiative to expand upon the initial investment.  The Partnership proposed a three-year plan of $345,000 for continued funding and strategic support of local housing efforts.  Efforts included building a collaborative to include a new Advisory Council – key leaders from various fields that have a vested interest in affordable and accessible housing.  This collaborative is “Community Partners for Change” and the Advisory Council developed strategic goals for 2022-2025:

  • EDUCATE: Educate the community about the need for more safe, equitable, and affordable housing opportunities for all Cumberland County residents.
  • ADVOCATE: Advocate for programs, policies, and funding that make housing more attainable for all Cumberland County residents.
  • ACT: Act on new opportunities to create more affordable housing solutions for Cumberland County residents.

For more information about current activities: please visit https://communitypartnersforchange.com/