DUPAGE HOMELESS CONTINUUM HOMELESS PREVENTION SYSTEM
JANUARY 2008

Guiding Principles

The following are guiding principles for homeless prevention activities and for the use of homeless prevention funds in DuPage County, IL.

1. Accessibility: The HPP ( Homeless Prevention Partnership) values accessibility and convenience for all clients. This places priority on bringing resources closer to the client. Emphasis is on bringing resources into community-based sites and into sites where the target population clients routinely gather for other services.
   
   
   1. Client Centered Services - Value is placed on developing a relationship with the client as well as the vendor (e.g., the landlord or mortgagor). The assistance process should attend to housing needs while considering other needs, strengths, and goals of the client.
      
      
   2. Efficiency/One Stop Shop - Value is placed on effective and efficient, timely completion of cases and distribution of resources to the vendor and client. Focus should be on reducing the need for a client to complete multiple applications/assessments at different agencies.
      
      
   3. Wrap Around Services - Value is placed on service sites with ongoing casework support available to the client in order to reduce repeated crises, and to support households in need.
      
      
2. Cost Efficiency/Leverage: The HPP ( Homeless Prevention Partnership) values allocation of resources in a way that ensures the most cost efficient use of the funds, and emphasis is on sites that can leverage the homeless prevention resource to generate other resources and/or wrap other resources around the homeless prevention resources.
   
   
3. High Need Areas: The HPP (Homeless Prevention Partnership) recognizes lower-income families and those at risk of homelessness tend to concentrate in particular neighborhoods and communities (often rental communities) within an otherwise affluent county. Channeling resources into these areas where the needs are significant, and in a manner that is accessible to persons at risk, will help achieve other priorities.
   
   
4. Accountability/Evaluation/Review: The HPP (Homeless Prevention Partnership) promotes a homeless prevention system that is able to hold clients accountable and ensures that resources are not used repeatedly and/or inappropriately. The HPP also promotes a system that performs to the State's requirements, conducts annual program evaluation and review, and demonstrates a commitment to improving the system based on that evaluation and review.
   
   
5. Collaboration: The HPP (Homeless Prevention Partnership) members share a common mission, and they value working together cooperatively in an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust. The HPP acknowledges a mutual benefit of working together, sharing information and drawing from each agency's diverse skills, knowledge and resources.
   
   
6. Cultural Accessibility: The HPP (Homeless Prevention Partnership) recognizes the changing demographics of DuPage County and values the growing diversity of the DuPage population. Emphasis should be placed on reducing cultural and language barriers to services for all individuals.
   
   
7. Outreach: The HPP (Homeless Prevention Partnership) promotes efforts to publicize and promote homeless services and resources. The HPP particularly values informing "hard to reach" households in the community of our services, eligibility, and the application process.

NOTE: The DuPage Homeless Prevention Partnership (HPP) meets bi-monthly, and membership includes: People's Resource Center, Catholic Charities, Outreach Community Ministries, Quad Community Social Services, Salvation Army, Hinsdale Community Service, United Way, Veteran's Assistance Commission, DuPage County Human Services. This group actively works with housing groups and community organizations to effectively administer Homeless Prevention services.