Coalition puts together “toolbox” to help end family homelessness

SAN DIEGO (CNS) – A website launched this week to be a one-stop shop for
homeless resources for individuals, charitable organizations and government
officials.

The website keystohousing.org is meant to get policy-makers and groups
dedicated to solving the homeless problem on the same page, San Diego City
Councilman Todd Gloria said at a news conference. He called it “a regional
toolbox” that includes information on hundreds of resources and personal
stories of families that have returned to self-sufficiency.

“(Solving homelessness) cannot be done just by the city of San Diego,”
Gloria said. “We've had (help from) representatives from the North County,
the South County, the East County.”

The website has a chance to be effective since it is the product of a
top-down effort from elected officials in various cities and the county of San
Diego, who are getting their staffs involved.

According to Pat Leslie of Point Loma Nazarene University, public school
liaisons around San Diego County dealt with about 13,200 homeless children in
2010. The total includes those on the streets, in shelters, cars or doubling up
in the houses of other family members, she said.

On any given day, the number of school-age children on the streets, in
shelters or cars is about 1,700, Leslie said.

Keys to Housing's stated goal is to eliminate family homelessness in San
Diego County by 2020.