One Roof Hosts USICH
Thank you to USICH Executive Director Jeff Olivet and Senior Regional Advisor Joe N. Savage Jr. for stopping by the One Roof offices to visit with us and our partners the City of Birmingham and the Community Foundation recently.
For those of you who may not know, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) is the only federal agency with the sole mission of preventing and ending homelessness in the U.S. The Council is made up of 19 federal agencies including HUD, the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Resources, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and many others. USICH brings together all of these resources and the related expertise to address the complex issue of homelessness.
Director Olivet spoke with the group about the Federal Strategic Plan: All In, a multi-year, interagency roadmap developed by USICH to reduce homelessness 25% by 2025. The City of Birmingham shared the exciting micro-shelter project that we are all looking forward to having as an option for those who are our most vulnerable and are living on the streets, as well as other upcoming projects that will serve those experiencing homelessness. The Community Foundation chimed in to speak about specific systemic initiatives they have funded and about their current initiatives for the grant cycle that just opened. One Roof team members then shared our excitement about collaboration efforts between the City of Birmingham, the Philanthropic Community, and the CoC, particularly as we work to engage additional community partners in implementing best practices, taking advantage of new opportunities, and finding our way to the common ground – our community is healthier when people are housed.
Once our office conversation came to a close, Director Olivet took a trip back to his Outreach roots…he and Senior Advisor Savage went out with the One Roof Street Outreach Team! They visited with a group of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness while lunch was being served by the always hospitable member agency Food for Our Journey.
Honest conversations between people experiencing homelessness and those with the power to change federal policy seldom have space to happen. One Roof was grateful to have the honor of providing that space, and we look forward to ongoing collaborations between all stakeholders involved in reducing the number of people experiencing homelessness today.