The Thomas Jefferson Area Coalition for the Homeless adopted a significantly revised community plan to end homelessness on March 25, 2015. This three year strategic plan was accepted by the City of Charlottesville City Council on April 20, 2015. Click here to view the new plan.
Vision
TJACH seeks to make homelessness rare, brief and nonrecurring in the city of Charlottesville and counties of Albemarle, Louisa, Fluvanna, Nelson and Greene.
Guiding Principles
1) Focus on serving hardest to serve/highest risk homeless population
2) Adopt and implement housing first strategies
3) Use best practice approaches where possible
4) Make decisions based on data
5) Advocate for the availability of effective community support services outside the homelessness system of care
6) Increase housing options for the very poor and people with barriers
7) Provide strong leadership with focus on funding and advocacy activities
Annual Goals: 2015-2018
1) Reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness by 20%
Measurement tools: Annual point in time count, HMIS annual homelessness assessment report, number of coordinated assessments conducted in a given period of time
2) Reduce the amount of time people experience homelessness by 20%
Measurement tools: average length of stay- HMIS
3) Increase the number of people exiting homeless service programs to permanent housing by 40%
Measurement tools: agency and community performance data – HMIS
4) Increase the number of people exiting homelessness service programs with improved sources of income by 25%
Measurement tool: annual performance report data – HMIS
5) Decrease the number of people that return to homelessness within 12 months of program exit by 20%
Measurement tool: HMIS service records, new HUD performance measure
6) Increase the number of people that remain in housing for six months or longer to 80% or more
Measurement tool: HMIS annual performance report
History of the Community Plan to End Homelessness The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC) adopted the charge to the Task Force to develop the 2012 Plan to End Homelessness at its regular meeting on April 7, 2005 and made formal appointments to the Task Force on June 2, 2005. The Task Force held its first meeting on July 1, 2005 and met regularly over the course of a year to develop this plan. The Task Force was created to raise homelessness to a community issue, with the involvement of all localities and additional stakeholders, building on prior planning and initiatives. The top four recommendations made in our plan are:
- Increase access to low-barrier emergency shelter
- Prevent de-institutionalized individuals from being released into or becoming homeless
- Reduce chronic homelessness
- Expand community resources available to homeless families
Click here to see the report: Community Plan to End Homelessness
Significant revisions were made to the plan in 2012, though these revisions were not formally adopted by any local agency of government. Click here to see these revised goals: 2012 Revisions.