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Ending Homelessness

Temporary Shelter, Permanent Solutions.

About 8,000 homeless men, women and children are on Maricopa County streets and in our shelters every day. Of those, 20% have been homeless for three or more consecutive years – often multiple times over a 10-year period. Known as the chronically homeless, these individuals consume more than 50% of the resources allocated for shelter and support services. But for the other 80%, homelessness is a one-time, episodic event.

Valley of the Sun United Way assists both these groups by providing comprehensive support services tailored to an individual’s needs. Our programs include:

  • Providing permanent housing solutions for the chronically homeless
  • Providing emergency and basic needs services for individuals at risk
  • Increasing shelter, housing and services for individuals experiencing homelessness
  • Developing and strengthening broader community support to end homelessness


Our Goals for 2012

  • Complete 250 units of permanent supportive housing for individuals who were formerly chronically homeless as the first phase of implementation of a wider permanent supportive housing plan
  • Provide assistance to 75,000 households to address serious crises that may lead to homelessness
  • Assist 225,000 individuals who are experiencing homelessness to obtain emergency shelter and services – including job training, access to public benefits, and mental health and substance abuse treatment – that facilitate a return to stable housing


Our Vision for 2020

Valley of the Sun United Way is committed to developing, expanding and enhancing support services to help community members experiencing homelessness to become stable and self-sufficient. Our goal is to provide permanent supportive housing to 3,000 chronically homeless individuals by 2020, providing the necessary services to address chronic homelessness and freeing up emergency shelter resources for displaced families and individuals who are seeking emergency shelter for the first time.

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