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<br /> letter to community <br /> HOPE is a call to action for our community. Every year in San Mateo County <br /> an estimated 4,000 children, men and women are homeless and another 26,000 <br /> are just one paycheck or medical emergency away from losing their home. The <br /> human and financial costs of homelessness are enormous. People who are <br /> homeless struggle to meet basic human needs for food and clothing, finding <br /> jobs and participating in community life. The costs of not solving this problem <br /> are great and are borne by everyone: by people who are in crisis because they <br /> have no place to live and by the entire community in the form of diminished <br /> community well being including the financial burden of paying for emergency <br /> and social services that generally do not end homelessness for those served. <br /> Housing Our People Effectively (HOPE) - The 10-Year Plan to Prevent and End <br /> Homelessness in San Mateo County - has been created because of an elnerging <br /> consensus among political and civic leaders, business people, community <br /> activists, homeless people and their falnilies, housing and service providers, <br /> and other stakeholders in San Mateo County that homelessness must be ended. <br /> Beginning in April 2005, we initiated HOPE by bringing together approximately <br /> 150 representatives from all sectors of the community with a mandate to create <br /> a plan to end homelessness. <br /> HOPE is a milestone in our community's approach to homelessness. It sets <br /> forth a ten-year plan of action that will change the way the community works <br /> together to solve this problem. It is focused to achieve a single, specific result: <br /> preventing and ending homelessness in San Mateo County. <br /> The people of San Mateo County are invited to join our effort to turn this <br /> vision into reality. Working together as a community, we can give hope to those <br /> with the greatest need and ensure that safe, accessible, affordable housing is <br /> available to everyone in San Mateo County. <br /> Sincerely, <br /> Jerry Hill, President Mark Church, Member <br /> San Mateo County Board oj Supervisors San Mateo County Board oj Supervisors <br /> Co-Chair, HOPE Leadership Commlittee Co-Chair, HOPE Leadership Commjttee <br />.~ r5IP' <br />1', .___ \ <br />-=::. ./ j 1~ - ~ <br /> < After losing her job, Michelle and <br />~ :,1 <br />,~~~i:.\ \ Fernando were unable to pay <br />; < :)\,' -)~ <br /> rent on their home in San Bruno. <br /> After resources ran out, Michelle, .l~/\V1 ' I \" ". ~ . <br /> Fernando, and their children <br /> became homeless. Through the I ';J \ <br />--- <br /> support of a local family shelter, ( \ ~ ~/ /- <br /> they were able to move into a place -1 '1\. r <br /> l ~. - t '- -\ <br /> of their own in just five months. \~ <br />Michelle dnd Ferndndo Kelt <br />