Email from Tina Brooks (via Bob Pulster):
Dear Friend,
I am writing to invite you to an informational meeting hosted by the Department of Housing and Community Development. DHCD would like to share our planning to date for the integration of the needs of homeless and near-homeless households into DHCD’s spectrum of housing and community development programs. The Gardner Auditorium at the State House has been reserved from 12:30 to 2pm on May 15, 2009 for a presentation by DHCD senior staff for all interested parties.
We have been working diligently these past few months in anticipation of the migration of homeless shelters provided for under Article 87. We have reorganized the management structure at DHCD and created new collaborative management teams to support this important work. This includes the new ICHH Regional Networks which were launched under the leadership of Lt. Governor Murray and are now integrated within DHCD’s organizational structure.
My staff and I value the partnership we’ve enjoyed with the housing and community development stakeholders and expect that solid working relationship to quickly extend to our new friends in the human service community. We see a rare opportunity to build a new community of practice among housing providers and service providers that is grounded in shared knowledge and program integration. We see this new collaboration of institutions and organizations with a shared sense of mission and commitment to homeless prevention, shelter provision and rehousing as a powerful response to the Governor’s charge to respond quickly, humanely and sensibly to the needs of the homeless.
Tina Brooks, Undersecretary Housing and Community Development
