PAUL SCHRAG: NEW EFFORT AIMS TO REDUCE HOMELESSNESS AMONG FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN BY 50 PERCENT OVER NEXT DECADE >>>

It’s only an agreement at this point, but a(nother) plan to end homelessness in Pierce County and beyond has arisen. Efforts in Pierce County will be backed by $200,000 from the Gates Foundation. So that’s a good start.

This latest effort is a bold public-private partnership led by Seattle-based non-profit Building Changes, and it endeavors to reduce homelessness among families with children by 50 percent in the next decade. Partners include the State of Washington, Pierce, King and Snohomish counties, the cities of Tacoma, Seattle and Everett, and a host of philanthropic and corporate partners.

Under the agreement, all parties have pledged to “redouble their efforts to minimize shelter stays and provide critical, ongoing support services for homeless families with children, and to help families on the brink of homelessness” according to press materials.

Counties and cities signing on to participate have agreed to align existing funding dedicated to assisting homeless families so that current resources can be used more efficiently and effectively. County officials and local affiliates are gearing up now to develop a roadmap that will guide them in spending the $200,000 grant presented by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, part of a $60 million commitment to the overall project, which will be spread out over the next decade.

“We are curious to see if there will be turf battles, but we can’t sit here today and know which agencies will work together. That’s what this planning will figure out,” says county spokesman Hunter George. “We will be inviting everyone to the table.”

Early planning efforts will evaluate existing programs, collect information about what services are available and where, and what it will take to get those programs connected and communicating. Ultimately, says George, the goal is to figure out how organizations can best work together for maximum impact.

Beginning this year, participants will pilot and tailor new strategies for meeting localized, unique needs of struggling families in their communities. Pilot projects will test innovative ways to help stabilize homeless families with children, as well as those struggling to pay their mortgages or rents before they lose their homes. Lessons learned in the pilot counties will eventually be applied across communities statewide. The hope is to ensure that no more Washington children are without a safe place to sleep at night. Funders from across the private sector - including the United Way of Pierce County, the Campion Foundation, the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, and the Ben .B. Cheney Foundation â€" have pledged to coordinate resources and help support efforts.

The effort begins during a time when, despite an estimated $200 million in combined annual funding by the state, counties, cities and private organizations, the number of homeless families appears to be on the rise. Economic Ragnarok 2009-2010 (or whatever we’re calling it) has dramatically increased the demand for services and support.

Partners in the new program will use five proven principles to guide future investments in solving the problem of homeless families: early intervention and prevention; coordinating access to support services; rapid re-housing; providing services tailored to meet each family's individual needs; and increasing economic opportunity through education and workforce services. These strategies have been shown to work elsewhere. If local organizations can work together, they might work here too.

Cross your fingers.

PHOTO: Flickr/Franco Folini