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Coalition for the Homeless
Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless
HOMELESS ADVOCACY INITIATIVES

Photo by Steve Cagen
2010 Homeless Voting Settlement (pdf file--Overturned with the passage of new voting law in Ohio in 2011)
Goals for the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless
2010-2012
Housing:
Advocate for the creation of a County Housing Trust Fund and funding for a National Housing Trust Fund—both of which would provide funding to create and preserve affordable housing in the local community
Support legislation for a mandatory six-month foreclosure moratorium
Civil Rights:
Support efforts to expand the
state and federal hate crimes definition to include crimes against homeless
people and to increase the penalty for such crimes
NEOCH will continue to sponsor resident councils and the Homeless Congress as a way to organize homeless people
NEOCH pledges its continued support of legislation that will provide more funding for homeless people and programs—contributing to high quality and safer shelters
NEOCH will work to pass local shelter standards legislation
Education:
Invite elected government officials to visit local shelters and attend Homeless Congress meeting
Remember those who have died after a period of homelessness
Continue our sponsorship of the Street Voices Speakers’ Bureau
Schedule meetings with Ohio State Senators and House Representatives
Use position on the National Coalition for the Homeless Board of Directors to meet with legislators and government officials to encourage support of the national advocacy agenda
Continue to raise awareness about the state of the housing crisis so that our elected officials can better understand and solve the problem of homelessness
Educate
school district officials about their obligations to protect the educational
environment of homeless children & youth
Health Care:
Support
implementation of the new health care law to maximize coverage for those
experiencing homelessness
Advocate for the creation of programs, such as U.S. Health Dept. Continuum of Care Program, that would provide essential services to the homeless in the department of health and human services
Advocate that addiction services be treated as health conditions rather than criminal offenses, and that we fund universal access to treatment
Employment:
Create a pilot project to allow
those with skills to earn money or start businesses as they transition out
of homelessness
Work to transform the shelters into employment centers