Mayor William D. Sessoms, Jr., in partnership with other South Hampton Roads leaders, invites service providers, industry stakeholders and interested citizens to join them at the 2012 South Hampton Roads Regional Conference on Ending Homelessness on Thursday, March 8, at Old Dominion University, as they support their continuing commitment to a regional approach towards ending homelessness. The event, hosted by the South Hampton Roads Regional Task Force to End Homelessness, will be held at Webb University Center from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In addition to Mayor Sessoms, also speaking at the conference are Chesapeake Mayor Alan P. Krasnoff, Norfolk Mayor Paul D. Fraim, and Portsmouth Vice Mayor Charles B. Whitehurst.
The South Hampton Roads Regional Conference on Ending Homelessness is a forum for sharing national best practices and promoting strategic planning. This year’s conference will feature an update on regional efforts to address homelessness and networking opportunities. Topics to be discussed at the conference include reentry strategies, accessing services for veterans, disconnected youth in Hampton Roads, the 1,000 Homes for 1,000 Virginians campaign, employment strategies, rapid rehousing and critical time intervention.
Registration costs $40 and includes lunch. Pre-registration by Feb. 29 is required. For more details or to register online, visit www.theplanningcouncil.org. Please contact Lynanne Gornto with The Planning Council at (757) 622-9268 ext. 3005, for more information.
The South Hampton Roads Regional Task Force to End Homelessness is a collaboration between the Cities of Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Franklin, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Suffolk; Isle of Wight County; The Planning Council; United Way of South Hampton Roads and non-profit organizations throughout the region.
The task force has been nationally recognized as a successful model for local governments working together to solve problems. Through regional cooperation, the task force has leveraged funding to create 180 new housing units for single homeless adults; another 60 units are currently underway.
The city’s active participation on the task force is also part of the Mayor’s Action Challenge for Children and Families. For more information about the Mayor’s Challenge, visit VBgov.com.
###
055hnp (corr. 1)