Community Housing Resource Center Nominated for 2013 Virginia Housing Award
We are beyond excited to share the following news!
The Council of Community Services’ Community Housing Resource Center has been nominated for the 2013 Virginia Housing Awards. The awards won’t be announced until late November at the 2013 Governor’s Housing Conference, but we can honestly say just to be nominated is an honor!
The 2013 Virginia Housing Awards recognize innovative, effective efforts that address our housing needs in Virginia.
The five award categories for 2013 include:
1. Best Affordable Housing Development
2. Best Housing Program or Service
3. Best Housing Preservation/Revitalization Effort
4. Best Affordable Housing Energy Conservation Effort
5. Mixed-Use or Mixed-Income Housing Development
The Community Housing Resource Center has been nominated for Best Housing Program or Service.
“This award will go to a housing program or service that has demonstrated innovative and creative efforts in providing services or assistance to citizens in need of help in meeting any aspect of housing needs. Examples might include financial counseling programs for prospective homeowners, shelters for homeless individuals or families, programs to assist homeless citizens’ transition into permanent housing or fair housing programs.” – Governor’s Housing Conference
It’s great to be considered for such an award especially when the nomination comes from our peers. The Blue Ridge Interagency Council on Homelessness feels strongly that the Center deserves the award for Best Housing Program or Service.
“We are proudly nominating the Community Housing Resource Center of Roanoke, VA. The Center has made a significant and positive difference in the provision of services to prevent homelessness and house people experiencing homelessness.” – Paula Prince, Blue Ridge Interagency Council on Homelessness.
The Blue Ridge Interagency Council on Homelessness facilitates and coordinates the region’s efforts to prevent, treat, and end homelessness and serves as the lead entity for the Blue Ridge Continuum of Care planning process.
Here’s a sneak peek from the nomination narrative:
“The Center has developed a broad, diverse base of support and funding – public, private and in-kind – to provide coordinated and effective homeless services. Programs are outcome driven and utilize models with demonstrated success to reduce the overall homeless count, reduce the length of time individuals and families spend homeless and reduce recidivism for those placed in permanent housing. The Center’s collaborative approach has reduced the “silo”, program-oriented culture of service provision in our community to a mindset with an increased focus on overall system performance.” – 2013 Virginia Housing Awards Nomination Narrative
The Community Housing Resource Center opened its doors to assist the homeless population and begin providing homeless assistance and prevention services in 2009. The program receives a vast amount of funding from multiple sources to provide essential homeless services to individuals and families living in the Blue Ridge Continuum of Care service area.
The Community Housing Resource Center continues to launch new programs that are consistent with the Center’s primary goal of reducing and ending homelessness in our community. Since 2010, the CHRC has implemented the United Way of Roanoke Valley funded Safety-Net collaboration, the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA), the Homeless Solutions Grant (HSG) and rapid re-housing programs funded by the National Alliance to End Homelessness. Through all of these programs, the CHRC works collaboratively with other service providers in the community to ensure our homeless service system is efficient, effective and well-coordinated.
It’s easy to see why the Community Housing Resource Center has been nominated for the Best Housing Program or Service. Here’s to hoping the CHRC receives this well-deserved award!
The awards will be announced at The 2013 Governor’s Housing Conference – November 20-22, 2013 at the Marriot Norfolk Waterside in Norfolk, Virginia. The Council of Community Services’ President, Dan Merenda and the Community Housing Resource Center’s Director, Matt Crookshank will be attending.
Congratulations on the nomination, CHRC!