Governance

Dozens of esteemed faith leaders from across Orange County have come together to create the Faith Leaders Council of United to End Homelessness. This Council’s role is to serve as a spiritual advisory board for the initiative and forge the strategy for engaging, educating and mobilizing the faith community to action. Focus areas include:

• Educating leaders and members of faith communities regarding the facts of and solutions for homelessness in Orange County
• Training and developing community champions who advocate for supportive housing in their communities

 

Our faith traditions compel us to:

• Use our voices, platforms, and influence to bring attention to the homeless crisis in Orange County
• Use our relationships in the community to engage others in education, conversations, action and advocacy to bring forth solutions to end homelessness
• To pray AND act to end homelessness in our community

 

As faith leaders we believe that:

• Every person and child experiencing homelessness possesses a divine dignity, known in some traditions as the image of God
• We are called to love our human family and ensure that they are treated with dignity and respect
• It is our moral imperative to provide housing, support and restoration for those experiencing homelessness

 

We the undersigned will persevere in this commitment until all our neighbors dwell in dignity.

Essential to success of United to End Homelessness are the incredible service providers who have been addressing the issue in Orange County for decades. These leaders provide valuable insights, direction and effective “best practice” solutions for the initiative, while serving as vital “boots on the ground,” working day in and day out with our neighbors experiencing homelessness.

We the undersigned, as service providers share a commitment to ending homelessness in Orange County.

 

We Believe:

• That people experiencing homelessness have the right to make decisions about their housing and support services as they work to end their homelessness
• That homelessness can be ended
• That housing ends homelessness
• In the proven effectiveness of the Housing First approach

 

We Will:

• Work collaboratively in support of the recommendations of the 2017 UCI Cost Study of Homelessness in partnership with Orange County United Way, a network of service providers and the public, private and philanthropic sectors who compose United to End Homelessness
• Communicate collectively and with one voice around the issue of homelessness and its solutions, participate in United to End Homelessness public awareness campaigns and support positive solutions in our daily work as well as public settings
• Participate in United to End Homelessness meetings and develop solutions that can be brought to scale together
• Be flexible and responsive to each person’s unique circumstances and needs, committing to a high standard of support and care coordination so their homelessness can end
• Participate in activities that encourage and allow our system of care to evolve and become more efficient
• Measure our progress, and use data to make informed decisions and implement changes as needed to ensure we operate at the highest standard possible
• Actively participate in the United to End Homelessness Public Awareness Campaign, advocating for proven solutions to end homelessness
• Work together to help educate the public about solutions for homelessness by sharing data, stories, progress, and shared public awareness assets
• Strategically work to end all types of homelessness, with chronic homelessness being our first goal
• End homelessness in Orange County