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County government agencies representing three separate care systems homeless services, <br /> HIV /AIDS services and mental health services that share overlapping client populations. The <br /> collaboration arose from their recognition that stable housing is a critical cornerstone to the health <br /> and well -being of homeless and at -risk people, and our communities. Rather than continue on their <br /> separate paths toward housing solutions, the agencies creating these plans realized that they serve <br /> many people with similar needs and in many cases, the same individuals and came together to <br /> develop one plan with mutual goals and joint effort for implementation. The collective knowledge, <br /> funding and expertise of the collaborative, joined with extensive input and guidance from a wide <br /> variety of community -based organizations and service consumers, yielded the Alameda Countywide <br /> Homeless and Special Needs Housing Plan, now known as the EveryOne Home plan. The plan is a <br /> regional and multifaceted response to address the social and economic issues of homelessness and <br /> housing instability that affect communities throughout the county. In January 2008 EveryOne Home <br /> became a community based organization to implement the Plan and now serves as the County's <br /> Continuum of Care. <br /> EveryOne Home coordinates local efforts to address homelessness, seeks to maintain the existing <br /> service capacity, build new partnerships that generate greater resources for the continuum of housing, <br /> services, and employment, and establish inter jurisdictional cooperation. EveryOne Home leverages <br /> substantial federal, state, and local resources for homeless housing and services, standardize data <br /> collection, and facilitate a year -round process of successful collaboration. EveryOne Home includes <br /> representation from HOME Consortium jurisdictions and CDBG entitlement jurisdictions in the <br /> County, service providers and advocates, homeless or formerly homeless persons, representatives of <br /> the faith community, business representatives, and education and health care professionals. <br /> EveryOne Home receives administrative funding through Alameda County's General Fund as well as <br /> contributions from each of Alameda County's jurisdictions. <br /> EveryOne Home envisions housing and services system that partners with consumers, families and <br /> advocates; provides appropriate services in a timely fashion to all who need them; and ensures that <br /> individuals and families are safely, supportively and permanently housed. To achieve those <br /> objectives, the plan is structured around five major goals that outline multi faceted solutions for a <br /> multi- dimensional problem: <br /> Prevent homelessness and other housing crises. The most effective way to end <br /> homelessness is to prevent it in the first place by making appropriate services accessible at <br /> the time they are needed. In particular, people leaving institutions such foster care, hospitals, <br /> jails and prisons need interventions and planning that will prevent them from exiting into <br /> homelessness. <br /> Increase housing opportunities for the plan's target populations. Increasing affordable <br /> and supportive housing opportunities requires creative use of existing resources, developing <br /> new resources and using effective models of housing and services. This plan identifies a need <br /> for 15,000 units of housing for people who are homeless or living with HIV /AIDS or mental <br /> Strategic Plan FY2010 FY2014 <br /> City of Pleasanton <br /> Page 20 <br />