The key to ending homelessness
Homeward Bound proudly uses the best practice Housing First model to end homelessness. Housing First is a homeless assistance approach that prioritizes providing permanent housing to people experiencing homelessness. This approach is guided by the belief that people need basic necessities like food and a place to live before attending to anything less critical, such as getting a job, budgeting properly, or attending to substance use issues.
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Our mission is to prevent and end homelessness in our community through permanent housing and support.
moved out of homelessness
%
of folks moved into housing in the last 12 months have not returned to homelessnesS*
* Our measure of success generally is determined by measuring the percentage of clients in our permanent supportive housing programs who remain housed 12 months after placement. Given the many variables that impact chronically homeless clients, and consistent with other studies, we count as “housed” those who have graduated from supportive housing to other housing, those who move to health care facilities, those who have moved out of the area, and can no longer be tracked; those incarcerated, and those who have died. For example, at The Woodfin, of the 37 clients who have been housed over five years, 92% remain housed. Seventeen clients live at The Woodfin now; five have “graduated” to other housing; two have moved to nursing facilities; seven have died, and two have been imprisoned. Only four clients have been evicted.
About Homeward Bound
Housing First
Homeward Bound’s Housing First means that everyone has a human right to live inside. It means moving people out of homelessness and into homes as quickly as possible. Then we wrap around the services they need to stay there.
Homeless Services
More than 500 people are homeless on any given night in Buncombe County. People who’ve become chronically homeless are the most vulnerable members of our community. They have the greatest need for permanent housing but the least opportunity to access it.
Housing Services
Homeward Bound runs two programs to offer housing to individuals and families currently living in shelters, their cars, or on the streets. Once folks move into their own home, we provide the furnishings to make it feel personal and the social services to thrive.
Veterans Program
Since its inception our Veterans Housing Services Program has housed more than 440 veterans and family members and prevented more than 139 from becoming homeless.
Homeward Bound is the community leader in best practices to end homelessness, and have been using the Housing First model since 2006. The Housing First model has been proven to be the most effective, cost-efficient, sustainable, and humane intervention to homelessness. Essentially this means people experiencing homelessness are housed as quickly as possible and offered case management services to provide support and resources to help maintain housing stability.
Since 2006, Homeward Bound has moved more than 2,200 men, women, and children out of cars, camps, and shelters into permanent housing. We have an 89% retention rate in housing.
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3,641 people
came through the doors of AHOPE Day Center last year
Michael, a volunteer at Homeward Bound’s AHOPE Day Center, told us, “I don’t know if I ever expressed this, but I was always impressed with the level of work you do at Homeward Bound and [the Day Center]. There is so much respect and human dignity in it. Also, you waste absolutely nothing. You can take a small amount of resources and make it perform so many different services. Thanks for letting me volunteer with you!”
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“The ache for home lives in all of us,
the safe place where we can go as we are, and not be questioned”
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