Yes! Yes! Yes!

Yay! Tho I suppose I shouldn’t say anything because if I’m for it, that means others will be automatically against and be obstructionists for the sake of being obstructionists.

The Mayor has interest in participating in the Zero: 2016 project (see the email below). In return for our interest and a formal application from the Madison/Dane County CoC, Zero: 2016 is committing to provide intensive support and coaching from their team. If you’re interested, please take a few minutes to look at the website – www.100khomes.org/events.

In order to best advise the Mayor and city staff on our application, I’m inviting those who are available and interested to a meeting on –

Wednesday, September 10th at 9:00 am.

The exact location for the meeting is still to be determined. I look forward to seeing you.

—–Original Message—–
From: Linda Kaufman [mailto:lkaufman=cmtysolutions.org@cmail2.com] On Behalf Of Linda Kaufman
Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2014 3:09 PM
To: Wallinger, Sue
Subject: Inviting Your CoC to Join Zero: 2016

Hello!

I am writing to invite you to join Zero: 2016, a selective follow-on to Community Solutions’ 100,000 Homes Campaign designed to help your community end veteran homelessness by the end of 2015 and chronic homelessness by the end of 2016. Participation in Zero: 2016 is by application only and will provide accepted communities with a substantial level of thought partnership and technical assistance at no cost. The initiative is not prescriptive or dogmatic. Instead, it is designed to help you figure out what will work best in your own community and then embark on the fastest path to get to zero with your existing resources. It’s going to be hard work and lots of fun!

If your CoC applies for and is accepted into Zero: 2016, you will gain access to:

– Our state of the art, user-friendly performance management and housing placement data system
– A dedicated improvement coach from our team
– Intensive support from our data and performance management staff
– An immediate learning connection to the other communities selected to participate
– The opportunity to select someone from your community for a powerful leadership fellowship in which they will gain skills to bring together unlikely allies and to harness the strengths of your entire continuum for maximum collective impact

Perhaps your mayor has already signed on to the Mayor’s Challenge and is looking for creative approaches, or maybe you have been inspired by VA’s 25 Cities Initiative and wished your community could tap into the momentum the initiative has generated. If you have a desire to end homelessness but aren’t sure that your community is really on track to get there, don’t go it alone. Now is the time to work together with other communities to speed up your progress and contribute to a shared mission.

Here’s the skinny:

– Zero: 2016 application deadline: September 30th
– Download the application, print it out and get started (www.cmtysolutions.org/zero2016)
– Attend our open office hours this Wednesday or next to learn more about Zero: 2016 and ask questions
(www.100khomes.org/events)
– Call or email me directly with questions

We are so excited about the prospect of working together with your community in the national movement to end homelessness! I would love to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

Linda Kaufman
National Field Organizer
Community Solutions
202-425-0611