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<br />Alameda Countywide Homeless and Special Needs Housing Plan <br /> <br />9 <br /> <br />Goal (P): Prevent Homelessness and Other Housing Crises <br /> <br />Placing a redoubled emphasis on homelessness prevention will be a key component of ending <br />homelessness in Alameda County. The experience ofhomelessness itself has a detrimental effect on <br />individuals and families, and returning from homelessness to stable housing is difficult. Generally, <br />the longer an individual or family is homeless, the longer the transition to stable living will take. <br />Preventing homelessness in the first place is better. At the same time, prevention can be less costly <br />and simpler for a service delivery system than addressing homelessness and human service needs at <br />a time of crisis. Homelessness prevention interventions should be available to all low-income <br />households. Preventing homelessness at the time of discharge from an institution, whether foster <br />care, hospitalization, jail, or prison will be required to stop the flow of people into homelessness. <br /> <br />Objective .P..1...: Ensure.. that...all.......hQUS~h()ld.~~tl'i.$.~~fh()rnele$$l1e$., <br />includi.ng......households..ln.afforda61~.or..iPu.~..lic...hCJu$il1~.I......c~rl <br />find.......com..plete...lnformatIQniabout.preventie>rI..p..Cl)~raMsl........al1.d <br />can. aceess.assistancell1.timet()prev~nthom~le$Elness. <br /> <br />Strategy P-I-A: Establish a "no wrong door" policy and practices, meaning that <br />information on all systems will be available from many points of <br />access 24 hours a day. Ensure that points of access are physically <br />accessible so that disability is not a barrier to finding or receiving <br />assistance, and ensure that systems have sufficient cultural <br />competency to serve their target populations so that language and <br />culture do not become barriers. Once information systems are <br />coordinated, explore options for a unified referral process. <br /> <br />StrategyP-I-B: Offer in-service trainings and presentations to affordable housing and <br />other property managers, including public housing property managers, <br />about the information and referral resources and system entry points <br />that exist, so that they can refer at-risk households, as appropriate. <br /> <br />Strategy P-I-C: Collaborate with the Social Security Administration and other <br />mainstream systems to increase enrollment in Supplemental Security <br />Income (SSI), Medi~Cal, Food Stamps, and other benefits programs <br />for those who are eligible. Full utilization of benefits will help <br />stabilize eligible households and can prevent homelessness and other <br />housing crises. <br /> <br />