From City of Prince George Media Advisory
October 6, 2008

A small delegation of community stakeholders will be traveling to Portland, Oregon on October 8, 9 and 10 to investigate a unique sustainable housing initiative in that city.

The primary objective of this trip is to learn how another mid-sized North American city has incorporated the principles of Housing First, a very successful anti-homelessness initiative, into its community development. It will also provide insight into how a similar housing strategy might be applied within the context of the City of Prince George’s Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP).

“We have the opportunity to redirect our focus and resources on long term strategies to achieve sustainable housing that produces positive results for people and their communities,” said Mayor Colin Kinsley, who will participate in the delegation, along with a multi-sectoral group of community stakeholders. “This will offer us a chance to see first-hand an initiative that shows real promise in helping find solutions to homelessness.”

Housing First is an approach to ending homelessness that centers on providing homeless people with housing quickly and then providing services as needed. Sustainable housing strategies based on the principles of Housing First are being introduced successfully in a number of cities across North America.

In just two years, Portland has found permanent housing for 1,500 chronically homeless individuals. The City of Prince George is developing an innovative housing strategy as part of its ICSP. This process has resulted in the identification of the opportunity to research methods and strategies associated with the Portland experience.

Representatives involved in the implementation of the City of Portland’s housing strategy will be available by phone to media interested in finding out more about the success of the initiative in that city.

Please consult the attached list for contact information. download

Members of the Prince George delegation will provide an initial report on the results of the trip to Portland at a media briefing during Homelessness Action Week, October 13-17. A full report will be provided to Prince George City Council at a later date.

For more information, and to get in contact with the Portland representatives, contact:
Chris Bone
Social Policy Facilitator
City of Prince George
Phone: 250-614-7882
Cell: 250-612-8556