{"id":8641,"date":"2017-06-26T16:34:15","date_gmt":"2017-06-26T20:34:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/?p=8641"},"modified":"2022-01-12T12:12:10","modified_gmt":"2022-01-12T17:12:10","slug":"community-partners-announce-milestone-housing-first-initiative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/2017\/06\/community-partners-announce-milestone-housing-first-initiative\/","title":{"rendered":"Community Partners Announce Milestone in \u201cHousing First\u201d Initiative"},"content":{"rendered":"

Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs and City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer joined the Central Florida Commission on Homelessness and Florida Hospital to announce that more than 100 formerly homeless citizens now have permanent homes as a result of the region\u2019s \u201cHousing First\u201d initiative.<\/p>\n

Osceola County Commissioner Peggy Choudhry; Seminole County Commissioner John Horan; Shelley Lauten, CEO of the Central Florida Commission on Homelessness and Martha Are, executive director of the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida joined to make the announcement on June 22.<\/p>\n

In 2014, Florida Hospital made a $6 million donation to end chronic homelessness in Central Florida \u2014 the largest one-time private commitment of its kind. Central Florida leaders leveraged this contribution to launch a campaign to end the cycle of chronic homelessness in the region by transitioning to the Housing-First model, in which the chronically homeless are provided a home, extensive support services and case managers.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a region, we have a proven track record of success through collaboration. On issues that range from affordable housing to the intensely complex issue of homelessness, we\u2019re more effective when working as a region,\u201d said Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs. \u201cThrough an interdisciplinary approach that includes not just the jurisdictions, but also our health care, housing, social services and mental health professionals, we\u2019ve been able to align priorities in support of \u2018Housing the First 100\u2019 program. Through the Homeless Services Network, and in partnership with Florida Hospital, we\u2019ve been able to make real progress in housing a very vulnerable group of high-need, chronically homeless individuals.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Housing First model is a proven approach that seeks to end the vicious cycle of chronic homelessness that costs communities, local governments, hospitals and businesses millions of dollars each year.<\/p>\n

When Florida Hospital joined the initiative with its donation, the organization identified 100 homeless Central Floridians who most frequently visited the emergency department during a one-year period. In that time, their combined total hospital charges were nearly $15 million in uncompensated care.<\/p>\n

On June 22, leaders with the Central Florida Commission on Homelessness, Homeless Services Network and other community partners shared several results of this pilot project including:<\/p>\n