Pitt County Government

April 8, 2009

An End to Chronic Homelessness in Pitt County?

Pitt County and the City of Greenville have made an unprecedented commitment to end chronic homelessness by adopting Our Journey Home: The 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness in Pitt County in September 2008. Over 400 communities across the United States, including 17 in North Carolina, have committed to ending chronic homelessness by developing 10-Year Plans. On Tuesday, December 2, a News Conference and Unveiling Event was held to recognize the work of the Blue Ribbon Task Force and to celebrate the completion of this plan. Greenville Mayor Pat Dunn, Commissioner Mark W. Owens, Jr. and other community leaders were present and made remarks.

A 50+ member Blue Ribbon Task Force was appointed in January 2008 to develop this plan, led by co-chairs Dr. Robert J. Thompson, associate professor and director of the Master of Public Affairs Program at East Carolina University, and Reverend Albert Shuler, pastor of Jarvis Memorial United Methodist Church.

Task Force members spent approximately eight months gathering data on homelessness in Pitt County and reviewing best practice approaches used in other communities. A series of focus groups and community forums were held to help determine the best approaches for Pitt County.

Our Journey Home: The 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness in Pitt County is a culmination of the collaborative effort by representatives from the city and county and their service providers, governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, business sectors, educational institutions, civic and professional groups, and individuals who are homeless. The plan builds on evidence-based practices that are proving to be successful in other communities. The plan features recommendations for increasing community housing inventory and for building capacity to provide supportive care. In addition, the plan identifies ways to maximize the ability of the individuals who are homeless to obtain and maintain income.

Although actions to implement the plan have been initiated, full-fledged implementation efforts will coincide with the hiring of a full-time project manager in July 2009. Visit www.pittcountync.gov/depts/planning/homelessness/ for more info and to see the plan in its entirety.

Kiara Jones
Director of Public Information & Media Relations
Office of Public Information
252.902.2955