8th Annual Michigan Homeless Summit Kicks Off Today in Frankenmuth

Summit theme: Taking it to the next level

LANSING, Mich., Sept. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Nearly 400 homeless service providers from across the state were on hand for today's kickoff of the 8^th Annual Homeless Summit, spearheaded by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) and the Michigan Campaign to End Homelessness.

Michigan's Campaign to End Homelessness began its journey to provide housing for the state's most vulnerable population in 2006 with MSHDA, the state Departments of Community Health, Human Services, Education and Corrections in partnership with the Corporation for Supportive Housing and the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness.

"We have all heard the wise saying that it takes a village to raise a child, and to follow that line of reasoning, it takes a whole state with all the necessary tools and resources to end the injustice of homelessness," MSHDA Executive Director Scott Woosley said. "We're all working together with leaders at the state level to align resources and create a business model that works."

Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) programs that report to the Michigan Statewide Homeless Management Information System (MSHMIS) served nearly 10,000 people in 2012, all of whom had significant disabilities, and 80 percent left the system for a stable housing environment. This is primarily a result of moving into subsidized housing without additional supports or rentals without subsidies.

Kelly Rose, MSHDA's newly appointed Director of Rental Assistance and Homeless Solutions, spoke at the Summit's opening plenary and summarized the successes and accomplishments the Campaign has achieved.

"When I look at the accomplishments of this Campaign, I am in awe," said Rose. "We have come from soup kitchens, church basement shelters and institutionalizing emergency responses to Housing First strategies, permanent supportive housing and project homeless connect events. We have replaced the politics of panic with the policies of performance."

"Michigan was one of the first states in the nation to launch a Campaign to End Homelessness, outlining a 10-year plan that included every county and every corner of the state," Woosley said. "Today, we are seeing those plans actually pay off with significant declines, even in the throes of significant economic challenges."

In 2013, Michigan's Campaign has placed a renewed emphasis on finding ways to end chronic homelessness, as it continues to be an area that has not shown a decline in numbers in recent years. The problem also has significantly chipped away at state and federal funding set aside to address all of the homeless needs in the state.

The Homeless Summit concludes on Thursday. For more information on Michigan's Campaign to End Homelessness, visit www.mcteh.org.

Homelessness ends with a place to live is Michigan's Campaign to End Homelessness declaration. It is driven by public and private groups across the state, working together toward a single goal: making stable, sustainable and affordable housing available to every person in Michigan. This goal guides more than 60 dedicated and coordinated partner organizations. Only through united efforts can homelessness be eradicated in Michigan.

SOURCE Michigan's Campaign to End Homelessness