After a year-long consultation engagement, the Alliance to End Homelessness in the Capital Region hosted a Community Plan Partner Gathering on January 30, 2024.
The gathering was opened with a blessing from Elder Sky Lafleur and set the participants in a good way. More than 80 partners dedicated to achieving functional zero homelessness in the Capital Region by 2030 gathered to plan our collective efforts to achieve our collective vision of experiences of homelessness are rare, brief, and non-recurring. During the event, we charted the course for decisive advocacy, enhanced communications, intentional engagement, and system’s transformation.
Throughout the day, the participants engaged in a series of facilitated activities aimed at achieving specific objectives:
Informing Partners: Attendees were briefed on the outcomes of community consultations conducted in 2023, which identified key themes and focus areas essential for addressing homelessness.
Generating Actions: Through interactive exercises, partners brainstormed and shared actionable strategies under the themes of Prevention, Data, Housing, and Other. Emphasis was placed on identifying achievable actions that the community could undertake collaboratively.
Theming Actions: Actions were clustered and themed at tables, fostering deeper discussions and identifying emerging patterns and sub-themes. Flexibility was maintained to accommodate new ideas and ensure comprehensive coverage of all focus areas.
Prioritizing Actions: In a group exercise, participants prioritized actions based on urgency, importance, and secondary status. This facilitated a structured approach to tackling issues and ensured focused efforts on critical areas.
Implementation Planning: The final session focused on discussing the implementation of identified actions. Through a blend of whole-group discussions and individual reflections, participants explored necessary steps, identified key stakeholders, and highlighted opportunities for collaboration.
Throughout the day, facilitators provided guidance and support, ensuring a conducive environment for meaningful engagement and dialogue. Participants actively contributed their insights, experiences, and commitments, fostering a sense of ownership and shared responsibility towards the community plan.
As the event concluded, participants left energized with a renewed sense of commitment to collectively act on our shared vision of functional-zero for our region and beyond.
The Community Plan Partner Gathering underscores the power of collective action and highlights the community’s commitment to realizing a future where homelessness the goal of functional zero homelessness by 2030 is within reach.
