When Safety Nets Prevent Homelessness Among Veterans

My father passed away last week. He took his last breath of life in a Veterans Home in Chula Vista, California. He is an example of how the system should prevent homelessness.

While growing up as children, my brothers and sisters would always ask him about his experience being an infantry soldier during World War II. My father was a very open, talkative, and social person. But when it came to talking about the war, he uncharacteristically shut down. The memories were too painful. He was just a teenager when he was drafted into the war. He earned a Purple Heart, which he never really talked about. And returned home to Los Angeles to start a family.

But the ghosts of his war-time memories haunted him the rest of his life. Although he was a graduate of UCLA, USC, and Univ of Maryland, and then became a Theoretical Physicist teaching at CSU Long Beach, he could never shake those painful experiences. They haunted his personal life, and affected his loved ones.

If it wasn’t for the safety net of family and friends, and of a government system that provided healthcare and retirement for veterans, he could very well have ended up on the streets. Like the quarter of a million veterans who languish on our streets today.

Although I have never been a veteran myself, to me, homelessness among veterans is still a very personal issue. When those who have been called “the Greatest Generation” struggled with memories of war, just think about the young men and women today who finish their terms of war duty, and end up on our streets.

It is just not right.

(Many thanks to the talented and passionate Senior Staff of PATH Partners, who took over the blog this past week. It’s nice to have a safety net even among our staff team.)

Regional Solutions to Homelessness: Let’s Win One for the Gipper!!

By Maggie Willis

Since we’re heading into Bowl season, I thought I’d get more attention if I used some football analogies… How on earth can I compare homeless solutions to football? Well, football, like homeless solutions, requires having the right players on the field, with a game plan that is clearly understood by everyone. And football teams are supported by their home communities – the fans. Now, here’s something we can learn from football. Football teams generate their support locally – because they are regionally based. Their fans are the people that live and work in the team’s hometown. Teams in turn provide support to the community – helping the local economy, supporting local needs. Homeless services also need to be regionally based and focused on the local community. Yes, there’s a National Football League (we call it the Department of Housing and Urban Development) that sets some standards, but each team must respond to their own fans – their local base – and be accountable for their wins and losses. And, on a sadder note, Los Angeles is one of the few major cities in the country that does not have an NFL team. I hope our little analogy doesn’t extend that far… But there are folks lobbying hard in both arenas to get our teams together.

Communities like Pasadena, Glendale and the Gateway Cities Council of Governments have taken leadership roles in building their “homeless solutions” teams that concentrate on what works – and what doesn’t – in their own hometowns.

So – for all of us who care about ending homelessness, let’s get out there and win one for the Gipper!!

Ending Homelessness: A Faith-Driven Proposition

By Jennifer Chang

One doesn’t have to search too far back into American history to find examples of how faith has motivated dedicated individuals to form positive responses to address our societal ills. Who can not be impressed when hearing stories such as the humble beginnings of Habitat for Humanity, which started as an idea of “partnership housing” born in a small Georgia farm in 1942, and has since become an international organization that has housed more than 1,000,000 people in more than 3,000 communities worldwide. Another example is the formation of the Jewish Community Foundation, which started in 1954 through the foresight of a small group of 14 Jewish leaders who wanted to have a plan for addressing the community's future needs. The foundation is now the largest manager of Jewish charitable assets in Southern California, holding nearly three-quarter of a billion dollars in assets and distributing over $70 million annually in grants to address community needs.

These examples are just a drop in the bucket of the many that exist which show how individual faith has been the driving force in turning mere ideas and concepts into sustainable solutions that have significantly impacted the lives of many. There is something mysterious and powerful about the actions of people motivated by faith, which often fuses a commitment to help those in need with the ability to imagine a reality that is unseen. These faithful actions have helped to transform individual lives and change entire communities.

When it comes to the problem of homelessness, a faith-driven proposition is just what we need. With the THOUSANDS of faith groups that exist in Los Angeles, representing MILLIONS of persons of faith, our collective faith community must possess countless ideas and plans. For our city’s sake and the sake of the 73,000 men, women and children living on our streets, we need to start letting our faith drive our actions and turn some of these ideas into workable solutions to end homelessness.

One of the initiatives we have launched this year to help transform ideas and good intentions into action is FAITH Matters., an interdenominational network of 70 groups who have come together to show that the faith community does have answers when it comes to ending homelessness.

FAITH Matters. provides opportunities for faith groups to become engaged and equipped to be a part of local efforts to assist the homeless and end homelessness. On January 15th, 2008, we will be hosting a luncheon featuring guest speaker Jonathan Hunter, Managing Director for the Corporation for Supportive Housing, Western Region. Mr. Hunter will be presenting “Lessons from the Past: How ‘Institutional Churches’ transformed American cities during the turn of the century”, which will provide insight into the role of faith communities in our current society.

We invite you to be a part of FAITH Matters. and explore how your own individual faith can be used to bring about improved lives for the homeless. For more information, please contact Grace at (323) 644-2212.

Burbank steps up to the plate!!

By Natalie Profant Komuro

Last week, the Burbank City Council met to determine whether it would accept opening a winter shelter in its local armory. Technically speaking, the State could have permitted the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) to open the shelter without seeking approval from the City. But LAHSA, not wanting to impose the program on a jurisdiction that presently does not have an overnight homeless program, indicated it would not move forward with the program without Burbank’s approval.

This all came after weeks and weeks of deliberation in Glendale over what to do. First, there was no local operator willing to submit an application to run the program. Then, in mid-October, the State informed LAHSA that the armory in Glendale would be closed for renovations. In November, the Glendale Homeless Coalition met to try to come up with alternatives, and though a few churches would look into it, nothing seemed to be feasible. So that left the armory in Burbank.

Not wanting to be an interloper from Glendale in the audience. I stayed home, poised to watch the bloodletting over the Internet and….nothing! There was so much respect in the room I couldn't believe I was watching a live hearing on siting a homeless shelter. And yet there it was. All but one naysayer- who apologized for even raising doubts! How refreshing to watch people behave like adults, give voice to their fears and concerns in measured tones, not once vilifying one another.

And how superb that a City Council could face a difficult matter with very little notice, make a tough decision, and take a risk. It wasn’t unanimous, but enough votes to get the shelter open.

There is, increasingly, a club among cities. Those who have shelters, or other homeless programs, and those who do not. Welcome to Burbank, where the City Council recently voted to accept a winter shelter program within its city limits. Granted, LAHSA and State could have moved forward without their approval, but deemed it best to get local buy-in first.

Whatever we may feel about the winter shelter program, when the weather gets this cold, it is good to know there is an option for the people on the streets. I know my staff at PATH Achieve is anxious for the shelter to open. Our Access Center is getting busier and it is harder to find places to refer people to.

So Burbank has, as Joel put it, taken a first step. Let’s hope that it isn’t the last.

Los Angeles’ goal to end homelessness needs a management philosophy, not a tax status exempt status

By Janet Ganaway Kelly

In Los Angeles, our community has been focused on social passions to bring attention to homelessness and to end it. Unfortunately, there has not been a clear vision, mission, or strategy to achieve a significant decrease. Los Angeles like other communities has a great opportunity to mobilize the business community and solicit their assistance in creating a homeless business plan that will yield results.

Los Angeles’ goal to end homelessness needs a management philosophy, not a tax status exempt status. Using business principles and formal business training, the business community can help develop a business plan to end homelessness in Los Angeles. In Atlanta, the business community developed the ten year plan to end homelessness and provided over $14 million in private investment to build a 24/7 homeless assistance center and affordable housing development. Interesting, cities that have engaged the business community has resulted in declining numbers of homeless people with a cost savings to the public.

The business sector and those with MBAs bring great value to the goal of ending homelessness. They bring the business acumen in finance, strategy, and management. As we continue to emphasize performance and outcomes, the business community offers a better understanding of performance-based evaluation and utilization of results tracking management that can demonstrate the real cost benefits of employing various strategies to end homelessness. Potentially, they can help us fix a broken system in need of improvement or suggest a complete overhaul.

We are at a critical point in addressing Los Angeles’ homeless epidemic. Now is the time to move pass “mission-driven” ideologies to “results-oriented” performance.

Coming Soon- Sr. Management Team Commentary!

Since our Fearless leader is out of town over the next week, PATH Partners will be substituting our usual dialogue to bring you a week of commentary by five of our PATH Partners Senior management team. Here's my fun facts/commentary about each of them:


Janet Ganaway Kelly, Executive Director, PATH
Janet is essential to our Sr. Management team having been with PATH for almost 10 years! She's the force behind many of the programmatic innovations PATH is known throughout the community. Janet's unique skill in identifying and implementing sound business strategies and principles brings significant value to the PATH Family. I often wonder where she gets her energy, given she works for PATH full time, is the mother of two school age children, a wife (with all the associated duties) as well as a graduate student (earning her MBA). We continue to count our lucky stars to have her!

Jennifer Chang, Chief Development Officer, PATH Partners
Jennifer is one of the most gifted Development professionals I have ever met- and boy this industry is full of them! She's known at PATH as the person most likely to help others gain entry into heaven- because she's such a wonderful person. She's the first person in the office on most days and always lends a hand when needed. Jennifer celebrated her 5th year with PATH Partners this year- we are so grateful to have her.

Natalie Profant Komuro, Executive Director, PATH Achieve Glendale
Can you spell E-N-E-R-G-Y!!! Natalie is the "I can do it, don't tell me I cant, I'll find a way, Just watch and see, kind of woman! You have to love someone as passionate and capable as she. Since Natalie's come aboard the PATH Partners team, she's lent us tons of the planning and policy "genius" that somehow fits into that skull of hers... Having her unique gifting has been a tremendous benefit to us all!

Shane Murphy Goldsmith, Executive Director, PATH Ventures
It should be noted that I'm rarely wrong. In fact, I think the last time I made a mistake was back in 1982- that is until Shane joined the PATH Partners team 5 months ago. I had her pegged as extremely competent but a very very quiet individual. In my observations, Shane is always reserved and low-key- rarely does she take part in the backyard bantering that goes on in our management meetings- she's just so darn calm!! HOWEVER, last week at an evening function, I noticed a different Shane Murphy Goldsmith. This Shane was the hostess, or shall I say, The hostess with the mostess! Very social and talkative- I nearly fell over in my chair (and no it wasn't the martini- I promise!) I was gleefully surprised! Even though Shane has only been with the PATH Partners family 5 months, she's proven her leadership and abilities many times over.

Maggie Willis, Managing Partner, PATH Partners Associates
I saved Maggie for last because she's such an awesome person- and it's hard to narrow my thoughts down to just a paragraph. Her ability to blend creative program design with measurable outcomes- is truly remarkable. She is by all standards, the quintessential humanitarian- whether it's working on a proposal till 4am, driving across the city to make sure her co-workers make it home safely- or the fact that she lives with 5 orphaned cats - even though she's severely allergic to them! If you ask me, she has definitely reserved a place in heaven!

So...starting Tuesday, be on the look out for my five fearless colleagues. I hope what they have to say will inspire you!!

Kai Stansberry
Chief Public Affairs Officer
PATH Partners