OSH issued the newly revised Emergency Housing Standards

One man's glimpse of a future without heirs inspired him to invest in the futures of families he would never meet. “Not having any children, this was a way to extend the family name beyond me,” said Stephen Marino.

Provide housing first. Then offer the services needed to maintain self-sufficiency. That’s the new strategy of the Philadelphia Committee to End Homelessness. The committee’s program, called SafeHome Philadelphia, is guided by the “Housing First” strategy.

Hundreds of thousands of homeowners who can no longer afford their mortgages are facing foreclosure–what is happening to these families?
“I think there are a few bumps before a family ends up at a shelter door,” said Phyllis Ryan, director of the Philadelphia Committee to End Homelessness. “When someone loses their house, they usually return to renting, or sharing a home with family or friends.”

For years the Ben Franklin Parkway has been the site of weekly, monthly, and annual homeless outreach meals organized by various groups based in the Philadelphia area. Whether members of the homeless population had congregated in that area previously or the feedings drew them to the Parkway is lost to memory.

“What happens to a dream deferred?” Must it “dry up,” “sag,” or “explode?” When creative expression is cultivated and recognized, homeless people are given the opportunity to live their dreams.