Mayor Swearengin Announces Update to Plan to End Homelessness

Jun 10, 2016 No Comments by

FRESNO, CA – Mayor Ashley Swearengin was joined by officials from the Fresno Madera Continuum of Care to announce the results of the 2016 Point-In-Time (P-I-T) homeless count and present an update to the Ten Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness, which was adopted at a joint meeting of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors and the Fresno City Council in September of 2008.

The latest P-I-T report found that while homelessness in the Fresno-Madera County area had a slight increase in the past year, total homelessness in the Fresno-Madera County area had a 48.3 percent decrease from January 2009 to January 2016. The count showed the total number of homeless in Fresno City and County fell from 3137 in the year 2009 to 1622 in the year 2016, with a 66% drop in sheltered homeless persons and a 40% decrease in unsheltered homeless persons.

Mayor Swearengin attributed the decrease to a flexible, well-coordinated and effective system of service providers, interventions and resources to respond to the distinct circumstances impacting each person, as well as programs like the Fresno Police Department’s Homeless Task Force and MAP Point at the Pov, a multi-agency coordinated entry system.

 

 

The Mayor also presented a plan for the final three years of the plan to reach “functional zero” for veteran homelessness by December 31, 2016 and chronic homelessness by December 31, 2017.

“Functional zero doesn’t mean there won’t be any more homeless people in Fresno,” Mayor Ashley Swearengin said. “It means we will have the resources in place to ensure that people who become homeless have the amount and level of services needed to help them so they don’t slip into chronic homelessness. That’s the goal and it’s very achievable.”

At the press conference, Mayor Swearengin and Fresno Grizzlies General Manager Derek Franks announced details on the Grizzlies’ “Good Karma Night” on Friday, June 24. Fans attending the game can “pay what you want” to enter and 50 percent of what you pay goes to Fresno First Steps Home. Karl Johnson, Fresno First Steps Home recipient, will throw the ceremonial first pitch at the game that night, and for added incentive, the Grizzlies will be celebrating Parker the Mascot’s 10th birthday and there will be a fireworks show after the game.

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