is proud to sponsor United Way Destination Home.

What is Destination Home?

Why does housing matter? Stable housing builds a stable community, and affordable housing is a cornerstone of economic development. United Way's housing initiative, Destination Home, supports communities in planning housing choices for families and individuals in Eastern Fairfield County. Destination Home starts with efforts to end homelessness and proceeds along the housing continuum from affordable rentals to homeownership opportunities for first-time buyers.

Destination Home addresses chronic, transitional, and episodic
homelessness. The chronically homeless represent only 10% of the total homeless population but utilize 50% of the services. The transitional group represents 10% of the homeless population and uses about 30% of available services. The largest group of homeless (80%) experience episodic homelessness due to a crisis. Providing adequate prevention services can help this group avoid becoming homeless in the first place.

The vision of United Way's Destination Home is that all residents have appropriate housing – making possible the transition from homelessness to hopefulness.

Our Destination Home strategies:

1. Implement the actions in The Greater Bridgeport Area Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness.

2. Invest in housing solutions (e.g., permanent supportive housing) that prevent homelessness and support individuals and families in obtaining appropriate housing choices.

3. Develop regional solutions to the wider housing crisis in partnership with a broad range of community providers.

The problem:

• On an average day in Eastern Fairfield County 1,700 people have no place to call home.
• The community’s annual cost of serving the needs of a chronically homeless person is $50,000.

The solution:
United Way’s Destination Home starts with efforts to end homelessness and proceeds along the housing continuum from affordable rentals to homeownership opportunities for first-time buyers.

The results:

• The Greater Bridgeport Area Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness assures that homeless individuals and families have access to safe, decent, affordable housing and needed support services.
• United Way funds housing programs that provide rent, security pools and interest-free loans to help prevent individuals from suffering episodic homelessness.

Click Here for the The Power to End Homelessness press release.

Download a copy of the Destination Home 2006 Quarterly
Investment Report.

Download a copy of the Destination Home Brochure.

Click Here to view the Greater Bridgerport Area Continuum of Care website.

Click Here to view The Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness.