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Home is… Foundational
Housing First is a transformative approach that recognizes housing as the foundation for personal growth, stability, and community well-being. Unlike traditional models that often require individuals to meet specific conditions—such as completing treatment or maintaining sobriety—before receiving housing, Housing First provides immediate, permanent housing without prerequisites. This philosophy sees stable housing as an essential starting point for addressing challenges, not as a reward for overcoming them.
Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week
Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week occurs every year the week before Thanksgiving and serves as a time to reflect on two interconnected challenges facing communities across the U.S., including in Chester County: hunger and homelessness. This year, the week occurs Nov. 17-23. As living costs rise, many individuals in Chester County face housing and food insecurity. Chester County Partnership to End Homelessness (CCPEH) aims to use a housing-first lens to make strides toward long-term stability for the residents of Chester County.
How Housing First Supports Survivors of Domestic Violence
Domestic violence is one of the leading causes of homelessness, especially for women and children. Survivors face a complex array of challenges when trying to rebuild their lives, from securing housing to addressing emotional and financial needs. This is where the Domestic Violence Housing First (DVHF) model comes in, offering a survivor-centered, trauma-informed approach that prioritizes getting survivors into stable housing as quickly as possible. Unlike traditional methods, DVHF not only provides a roof over their heads but also offers ongoing support tailored to the unique needs of each survivor.
How Race Impacts Work, Housing & Homelessness
It is important to reflect on the systemic challenges that disproportionately affect Black, Indigenous and People of Color, particularly in terms of occupational well-being and its connection to homelessness.
Youth Experiencing Homelessness and Education
Homelessness often causes long-term implications for young people’s educational outcomes and their futures. Read on to learn more about the prevalence of young people experiencing homelessness in Chester County, its impact on education, the local resources available, and how you can help make a difference.
Homelessness and Healthcare in Chester County
Homelessness itself is a serious health condition. According to the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, people who are homeless have higher rates of illness and die on average 12 years sooner than the general U.S. population. Individuals without stable housing are also more likely to suffer from chronic illnesses, mental health issues, and substance abuse disorders. An injury or illness can quickly turn into homelessness when you account for the loss of employment that comes with being ill, the unhealthy living conditions that exacerbate any health issues, and the lack of access to healthcare.
Chester County 2024 Continuum of Care System Performance Data
Coordinated entry supports fair, equitable, and rapid access to housing assistance and stability services. All services in the coordinated entry system are tracked through the Chester County Homeless Management Information System to help generate data that informs system improvement. Each year, we evaluate this data looking for markers of success and areas for improvement.
Chester County 2024 Point-in-Time Count
Coordinated entry supports fair, equitable, and rapid access to housing assistance and stability services. All services in the coordinated entry system are tracked through the Chester County Homeless Management Information System to help generate data that informs system improvement. Each year, we evaluate this data looking for markers of success and areas for improvement.
Unraveling the Threads: Race, Gender and Sexuality & Homelessness
Understanding the complexities of homelessness requires an exploration of the interconnected threads that shape the fabric of our lives. Social determinants of health, as defined by the American Medical Association, encompass the community-wide conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age. Among these determinants, race, gender, and sexuality play pivotal roles in shaping housing outcomes.
What One Faith Community Is Doing to Address the Affordable Housing Crisis in Chester County
With a growing gap between housing costs and wages, the dream of living in Chester County is slipping away for many families and individuals. A West Chester faith community, Westminster Presbyterian Church, has been at the forefront of advocacy and change, making significant strides toward addressing the housing affordability crisis. The Home Team explains the problem and its impact, and has provided some resources to explore how we, as a community, can make housing attainable for all.
Home on the Mind: The Relationship Between Mental Health and Housing
In our ongoing effort to tackle homelessness in Chester County grasping the connection between mental health and homelessness is crucial for fostering a community where every individual can thrive. Read on to learn more about how you can make a difference.
Empowering Homeless Individuals with Chesco Connect
Reliable transportation is a lifeline for individuals without stable housing, enabling them to access vital resources and navigate service systems effectively. As such, we wanted to make sure that our Partners know about Chesco Connect, Chester County's community transit program dedicated to providing essential transportation services for all residents, including those experiencing homelessness.
Permanent Supportive Housing Policies
HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) Program-funded grant recipients and subrecipients must maintain complete, up-to-date written records and procedures for each CoC Program funded project. Recipients must maintain and follow written intake procedures to comply with the. homeless definition in 24 CFR 578.3. CoC Program-funded PSH programs are also required to document a program participant’s status as chronically homeless as defined in 24 CFR 578.3 and in accordance with 24 CFR 578.103. The procedures must require documentation at intake of the evidence relied upon to establish and verify homeless status.
Navigating the Intersection: Homelessness, Migration and Community Support
In recent years, the issue of homelessness in the United States has become increasingly entwined with the complex dynamics of migration, particularly evident in largely democratic metro areas grappling with the consequences of the ongoing migrant crisis. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's 2023 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress paints a concerning picture: approximately 653,100 people experienced homelessness on a single night in 2023, marking a troubling 12% increase from the previous year and hitting a record level of homelessness across the country.
Weathering Homelessness: How the Environment Impacts Housing Instability
As spring unfolds in Chester County, the warmer season and longer days bring with them hope for a better future where no one in Chester County experiences cold, dark nights without a home. This April, as we observe National Fair Housing Month, we are spotlighting the environmental determinants that contribute to homelessness. Our unhoused neighbors are often hidden victims, vulnerable to both discrimination in housing and the consequences of our changing environment.
Inactive Household By-Name List Exit Policy
The Inactive Policy is an integral component of maintaining a real-time by-name list, as well as a robust Coordinated Entry System. To ensure an efficient assessment and referral process, it is critical that the Targeted Homelessness Resource Coordinator and housing programs have the ability to contact and connect with households as soon as a housing opportunity becomes available.
Moving Up and On Policy
The Chester County Partnership to End Homelessness (CCPEH) and its partner providers are guided by the principles that:
Housing is a human right.
Families and individuals experiencing homelessness as defined by the HEARTH Act should receive housing first, regardless of any barriers to permanent housing stability.
Once housed, families and individuals exiting from homelessness should be provided supportive services to ensure their housing stability.
Housing resources (e.g., case management, housing location services, subsidies, and referrals to other services) should be flexible and customized to the unique needs, strengths, and living situations of a family or individual using a person-centered, progressive approach.
Chester County 2023 Point-in-Time Count
On the evening of Wednesday, January 25 and early hours of Thursday, January 26, 2023 the Chester County Department of Community Development (DCD) facilitated the annual Point-in-Time Count. The purpose of this initiative is to determine the number of people currently experiencing homelessness on a given night, to better understand homelessness in Chester County and across the nation, and to support the Chester County Partnership to End Homelessness’ efforts to prevent and end homelessness.
Navigating an Overburdened Courtroom: How Inconsistent Rules, Shadow Procedures, and Social Capital Disadvantage Tenants in Eviction Court
Landlords and tenants in eviction court navigate a complex legal and administrative process. Eviction courts are overburdened and under pressure to process enormous numbers of cases each day.