The Coalition is a community-based partnership of service providers in the non-profit and public sectors, advocates, business representatives and elected municipal officials, formed in February 2008 to lead the regions commitment to end homelessness.

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Vision: By 2018, all people facing homelessness in our community will have access to safe, affordable, appropriate, stable housing with the support they require. This will be provided in a coordinated, accessible and effective manner.

While we acknowledge that homelessness and its root causes are complex, we believe that homelessness can be eliminated though community action and a focused approach based upon key values and principles. Those values include leadership, effectiveness, collaboration and accountability. Those principles begin by putting first things first - a people-centered and inclusive approach known as “Housing first with support”. We believe that everyone has a right to a home and is ready to be housed now, regardless of his or her circumstances and behaviors. We further believe that the type and level of support provided should be based on the needs of the individual and tailored accordingly.

We believe in putting people first. Simply put, we don’t use terms such as “hard to house”. The homeless people in our community are our mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers. They may be people without homes. But they are people first.