THE SELECTION OF “COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS” BY MAYORS TO INSPIRE 10 YEAR PLANNING EFFORTS WITH JURISDICTIONAL LEADERS

WHEREAS, mayors and cities are on the front lines of the response to chronic homelessness; and

WHEREAS, mayors are committed through 10 Year Plans to ending chronic homelessness in our nation's cities; and

WHEREAS, over 335 cities and counties have created jurisdictionally-led, community-based 10 Year Plans to End Homelessness focused on ending the disgrace of homelessness, not managing it, and many of these plans are leading to results; and

WHEREAS, the development and implementation of these 10 Year Plans to End Homelessness bring together community leaders representing all stakeholder groups, including the leadership of the private sector; and

WHEREAS, these private sector leaders bring a business mindset to the development and implementation of 10 Year Plans to End Homelessness, a mindset that recognizes the importance of investing in solutions that are research and data driven, performance based, and results oriented; and

WHEREAS mayors have recognized the critical importance of the involvement of these private sector leaders and the business mindset they bring to the success of their Plan; and

WHEREAS, mayors have therefore adopted the Community Champion model, disseminated as a national innovation by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, in the appointment by the mayor of a highly visible and credible private sector leader or leaders not primarily associated with homelessness to lead the implementation of the 10 Year Plan; and

WHEREAS Community Champions have leveraged significant new resources, including drawing in new private sector partners in support of the implementation of 10 Year Plans; and

WHEREAS, these new resources have shown direct impact on the results these communities are achieving,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors endorses the national innovation of the Community Champion; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors, encourages mayors to adopt the Community Champion innovation in the development and implementation of the 10 Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness in their communities.