3 Ways Well-being Is Critical to Ending Chronic Homelessness

This episode’s theme: Why the integration of services for well-being is critical to ending chronic homelessness.

Between 2020 and 2022 over 2,000 people became unsheltered in Maricopa County (meaning people without access to a shelter bed).?

Historically, the majority of people experiencing homelessness were in temporary situations.?

But, the number of individuals becoming chronically homeless is growing at an alarming rate.?

Nonprofit experts agree that focusing more on well-being during the prevention and reaction phases of social services could be critical in decreasing?the number of people experiencing homelessness.

In episode 29 of the McQuaid Mission, we're joined by Dr. Meka Allen of Fresh Start Women’s Foundation with Rob Podlagar and Kim McWater from Valley of the Sun United Way. Then, Paul Mulligan, CEO of Catholic Charities visits for a conversation about affordable housing. Last, Suzanne Pfister, CEO of Vitalyst joins our action panel to discuss an exciting new initiative to create healthier communities in Maricopa County.

Here are three things you need to know from the episode.

Well-Being is Key to Self Efficiency?

Well-being is an important part of Fresh Start Women’s Foundation’s approach to helping women vulnerable to or experiencing homelessness. Their Bridge to Self-Sufficiency is a structured model they use to ensure that they provide women with the support and resources for all of the contributing factors of housing instability.?

The Bridge to Self-Sufficiency includes:

1. Family Stability (housing and family)
2. Health and Wellbeing (health and supports)
3. Financial Management (debts and planning)
4. Education and Training (learning)
5. Career (earnings levels)

Sustained Optimism Needed to Overcome Affordable Housing Crisis

If you need short-term solutions to housing Mulligan recommends visiting socialserve.com, which is a nonprofit that connects those in need. He also recommends "getting on every list" possible. He admits that it can be a grueling process, but sometimes the most powerful tool available is a positive mindset.

“(There's) Always an invitation for you and me to go outside of ourselves and connect with others,” Mulligan says. He says that optimism isn't only essential on the side of need, it's critical to those in supportive roles too. Community leaders who want to do something always can. But, we're often limited to the outlook we have and what we see as a positive action. No one person or organization can solve this complex issue alone.

Well-Being is Key to Healthy Communities

The Regional Collaborative?is a collective created by organizations including the Arizona Housing Coalition, Arizona State University and Maricopa County to make supporting Arizonans in need more effective by creating more cooperation between organizations. The Collaborative has identified well-being as a precursor to many of the elements of what makes a healthy community.

by: Amanda Savage

Watch episode 29 of the McQuaid Mission.?