United Way Orange County is celebrating successfully housing 1,000 people through its WelcomeHomeOC program, right on the heels of the organization marking 100 years of service in the county.
As it embarks on a new century, the nonprofit United Way has three main initiatives, United for Student Success, United for Financial Security and United to End Homelessness, to address the needs of O.C. residents, its leaders say. The organization also recently took over 2-1-1 Orange County, a hotline that connects residents with several types of community programs such as where to find community clinics, food pantries, homeless shelters and more.
In 2019, the WelcomeHomeOC program was created through the United to End Homelessness initiative to reduce the time it takes for individuals and families with housing vouchers to find an abode.
“The concept was, what does it look like to partner with property providers, involve them and help them feel like they’re part of addressing homelessness, and also provide incentives to help alleviate any fears or concerns they might have about potential negative impacts on their business,” Becks Heyhoe, executive director of United to End Homelessness, said. “And then alongside that, equally important was how do we support the service providers who are providing them with case management?”
It’s been “really remarkable,” Heyhoe said, to create an ecosystem to make a difference in Orange County.
The program aims to simplify the process for all parties involved, ensuring 12 months of case management and support services for those finding housing, and creates incentives and support for property owners and managers, including funding for security deposits, unit holding costs, furnishings and access to a damage mitigation fund.
WelcomeHomeOC’s Property Provider Network has more than 150 property managers, owners and developers who work with housing voucher holders experiencing homelessness in Orange County. Of the 1,000…
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