HOME FOR GOOD WINS BROAD, UNPRECEDENTED SUPPORT MORE THAN 50 PLEDGE TO IMPLEMENT BUSINESS LEADERS TASK FORCE PLAN

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1 FOR RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, :00 AM FURTHER INFORMATION: DAVID HAMLIN, WHPR, TASK FORCE COMMUNICATIONS (323) OR DARCY COBB, DOTTED LINE COMMUNICATIONS, (310) OR TAULENE KAGAN, UNITED WAY, (213) OR MANDY DENEAUX, LA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, (213) OR OR HOME FOR GOOD WINS BROAD, UNPRECEDENTED SUPPORT MORE THAN 50 PLEDGE TO IMPLEMENT BUSINESS LEADERS TASK FORCE PLAN TO END CHRONIC & VETERAN HOMELESSNESS IN 5 YEARS LOS ANGELES, CA -- An unprecedented assembly of county-wide elected representatives, law enforcement leaders, social service and housing providers, philanthropists, religious leaders, federal officials and national homeless experts today endorsed and pledged with their signatures to implement the Los Angeles Business Leaders Task Force on Homelessness plan, Home For Good. A comprehensive contingent of elected officials pledged specific actions to support the plan whose key goal is to end chronic and veteran homelessness in five years. L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas will explore targeting County resources and Countymunicipal coordination to facilitate the Task Force recommendations. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will examine collaborative efforts as well; Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster urged prioritizing permanent housing units for the most vulnerable chronically homeless. Michellle Wildy from the L.A. office of the Veterans Administration joined other leaders in pledging to work toward the Task Force s goals. United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Barbara Poppe, who also met with the Task Force, expressed her support for the plan, indicating that its implementation would enhance the potential for expanded federal homeless funding for the region. This gathering embodies exactly what our region s approach to homelessness requires, said Jerry Neuman, Co-Chair of the Task Force. Everyone assembled here agrees that we can do better [MORE]

2 HOMELESS TASK FORCE WINS SUPPORT PAGE TWO OF TWO and we all agree to work in concert so that we will do better. The Task Force is proud that Home For Good has generated such broad support in such a brief period of time and we are more confident than ever that we can achieve our goals. Home For Good is an ambitious plan, but today s display of consensus and cooperation is clear evidence that our community is ready to do what the Task Force has set out to do: End chronic and veteran homelessness in our region and cut costs while we do it, said Renee White Fraser, Co- Chair. The Los Angeles Business Leaders Task Force On Homelessness, a project of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and United Way of Greater Los Angeles, released Home For Good on November 9, 2010, following 14 months of study and analysis. The 5 year plan contains benchmark goals, specific homeless policy and practice recommendations, detailed financial priorities and an outline for the effective collection and use of data about the region s nearly 50,000 homeless individuals. Its central recommendations focus on the measured reduction of the region s 18,000 chronic and veteran homeless population until that population is assured of permanent supportive housing; that goal, which the Task Force projects will save up to 40% of the region s current $875 million homeless budget, will free up funds to address temporary homelessness far more rapidly and efficiently. Less than one month after the release of the report, it gathered more Los Angeles leaders in one place at one time with one purpose than any in recent memory. Each speaker in turn announced the roles they would play in moving the Task Force plan forward. Representing the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, CEO Steven M. Hilton announced that the foundation will award $13 million in grants to advance the Task Force plan to end chronic and veteran homelessness in greater Los Angeles; Mr. Hilton was among the many homeless policy experts the Task Force drew upon during its exploration. Rabbi Jonathan Klein, representing CLUE and PATH s Our Faith Matters leadership group, called on the faith community to examine and retool the services they provide as changes in homeless policy emerge and encouraged all people of faith to become active as homeless volunteers or advocates. Joining the speakers in pledging support and action were representatives from Los Angeles homeless housing developers, social service agencies, missions and shelters, municipal officials and administrators. All those who attended the event endorsed the Task Force s action plan with their [MORE]

3 HOMELESS TASK FORCE WINS SUPPORT PAGE THREE OF THREE signatures; in all, more than 50 leaders signified their support for the plan. Home For Good and an array of information about homelessness in greater Los Angeles, along with opportunities to work with the Task Force, can be found at Editors Note: A complete list of those who endorsed the Business Leaders Task Force plan follows. HOME FOR GOOD SIGNATORIES SIGNATORY ORGANIZATION TITLE Becky Kanis 100,000 Homes Campaign Director Rev. Monsignor Gregory A. Cox Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc. Bob Foster City of Long Beach Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa City of Los Angeles Mayor Wendy Gruel City of Los Angeles Controller Eric Garcetti City of Los Angeles Councilmember, 13th District Herb J. Wesson, Jr. City of Los Angeles Councilmember, 10th District Richard Alarcon City of Los Angeles Councilmember, 7th District Janice Hahn City of Los Angeles Councilmember, 15th District Bill Rosendhal City of Los Angeles Councilmember, 11th District Jan Perry City of Los Angeles Councilmember, 9th District Richard Bloom City of Santa Monica Councilmember Roseanne Haggerty Common Ground President Steve Hilton Conrad N. Hilton Foundation President & CEO Deb DeSantis Corporation for Supportive Housing CEO Hussam Ayloush, MBA Council on American-Islamic Relations Supervisor Ridley-Thomas County Board of Supervisors Supervisor Supervisor Yaroslavsky County Board of Supervisors Supervisor Supervisor Knabe County Board of Supervisors Supervisor

4 Donna Beiter Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center Director Jeff Schaffer Enterprise Community Partners Director for the Southern California Region Aileen Getty Gettlove Founder & President Mary Kirchen Housing Works Adam Murray Inner City Law Center Grace R. Dyrness Institute for Transnational Research and Development Senior Researcher Mark Horvath Invisible People Founder Kenneth J. Ramirez L.A. Coalition to End Hunger & Homelessness Donna Gallup Lamp Community Jesse Ross Live Church LA Pastor Gary Toebben Lee Baca Michael Arnold Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce Los Angeles County Sheriff Department Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority President & CEO Sheriff Doug Guthrie Los Angeles Housing Department General Manager Herbert L. Smith Los Angeles Mission President & CEO Charlie Beck Los Angeles Police Department Police Chief Dave Pilon, Ph.D. Mental Health America of Los Angeles President & CEO Heather Carmichael, LCSW My Friend s Place Nan Roman National Alliance to End Homelessness President & CEO Scott Sale, MD PATH Interfaith Leadership Council Member Joel Roberts PATH Partners CEO Scott Chamberlain San Gabriel Valley Housing and Homeless Coordinating Council Ruth Schwartz Shelter Partnership Mike Alvidrez Skid Row Housing Trust Paul Zimmerman Southern California Association of

5 Non-Profit Housing Va Lecia Adams, Ph.D. St Joseph Center President & CEO Tod Lipka Step Up on Second THREE OF THREE Dr. Robert Ross The California Endowment President & CEO Abbe Land The Saban Free Clinic Co-CEO Gloria Lockhart Toberman Neighborhood Center Barbara Poppe Andy Bales U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness Union Rescue Mission and Eimago, Inc. CEO Marv Gross Union Station Homeless Services CEO Peggy Edwards United Homeless Healthcare Partners Elise Buik United Way of Greater Los Angeles President & CEO Fred Ali Weingart Foundation President & CEO