The Philadelphia Committee to End Homelessness

The Philadelphia Committee to End Homelessness (PCEH) is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This organization was founded in 1981 and its purpose was and is of finding long-term solutions to the homelessness problem in the Philadelphia area.

Background information

Since its inception, PCEH has constantly worked with federal, state, city and local governments to find practical solutions to ending homelessness. This includes beginning an outreach program and finding ways for governments to reform the way they spend funds on housing, poverty and the homeless. Yet, PCEH seeks only private funding so that it can remain an independent voice and advocate.

Services provided

Today the Philadelphia Committee to End Homelessness is a non-profit organization who helps those on the streets to maintain their access to vital services. The Day Center is located at 802 N. Broad Street and is open from 6am to 2pm offering assistance with obtaining birth certificates and legal identification, telephone calls, mail retrieval, peer counseling, resume and wardrobes for interviews as well as information on detoxification/rehabilitation. Shower and male clothing facilities are available between 6am to 9am. They also publish a list of rooms and apartments available for rent monthly. The Philadelphia Committee to End Homelessness has been listed as a model community based homelessness prevention agency by the National Alliance to End Homelessness.[1]

Outreach

The Philadelphia Committee to End Homelessness focuses their attention to those living on the streets through outreach. Several times each week the Outreach Coordinator leads a group of volunteers out onto the streets to make a connection with the men and women who are living on the streets. The goal is to inform them of services offered as well as talk to them about getting into shelter, and sometimes just to be a listening ear to the voices of the ignored homeless. The outreach efforts have been endorsed by many community efforts to include Villanova University[2] as well as the University of Notre Summer Learning Social Concerns.[3]

Safe Home Philadelphia

In the fall of 2005, PCEH introduced Safe Home Philadelphia. This is a program pioneered under PCEH who operates using the Housing First Strategy, which consists of rapidly housing families first and then working with the families to help them overcome any barriers they may be facing. Safe Home believes that every child deserves a safe place to sleep and every parent should have the access to affordable housing. Safe Home is dedicated to creating open doors to help families achieve stability as quick as possible, rather than bombarding them with obstacles. Safe Home Philadelphia was covered by the Philadelphia Inquirer[4] in an article posted in February 2008. The article was entitled The New Mandate: First, find them home and focused on their methodology of housing families through Housing First.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.endhomelessness.org/content/article/detail/2211 The National Alliance to End Homelessness
  2. ↑ http://www3.villanova.edu/volunteering/agencies/PCEH.htm Villanova University
  3. ↑ http://socialconcerns.nd.edu/academic/summer/documents/Andrews_Scholars_09_Booklet.pdf University of Notre Dame Social Concerns
  4. ↑ http://www.philly.com/inquirer/hot_topics/15922572.html Philadelphia Inquirer

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