Glendale Receives ‘Innovative Program Of The Year’ Award For Homelessness Strategy
City awarded statewide honor for its Master Services Agreement
The Arizona chapter of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (AZNAHRO) awarded the city of Glendale with its ‘Innovative Program of the Year’ award to recognize the city’s Master Services Agreement with Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS).
“We’re grateful to AZNAHRO for recognizing the city’s approach to addressing homelessness with innovative, collaborative and effective solutions,” said, Glendale’s Administrator of Revitalization Matthew Hess. “I am looking forward to working collaboratively with our partners to realize even greater success on the horizon.”
The Master Services agreement funds the ‘Glendale Homeless Solutions Alliance’, which is a multi-agency partnership that uses a ‘No Wrong Door’ approach. Through this system, clients can access services through any partnering agency and receive introductions and support from other partnering agencies.
“The Glendale Homeless Alliance is reducing homelessness because of its innovative approach through collaborative problem solving among service providers and with the city,” said Chief Executive Officer with CASS, Lisa Glow, J.D. “Another unique aspect of the collaboration is the sharing of both leadership and resources among the service providers.”
An average of 500 Glendale residents benefit monthly from the GHA through the navigation center that CASS operates, which is the Norton and Ramsey Social Justice Empowerment Center (NREC), located at 7031 N. 56th Avenue in Glendale. The center is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and is closed on the weekend. The NREC maintains a 24/7 resource line to connect individuals and families to services and provide information and support to community members. If you or someone you know is at risk of or experiencing homelessness in Glendale, please call 623.207.8902.
About CASS
Founded in 1984, CASS is Arizona’s largest and most experienced homeless emergency shelter provider, serving more than 6,900 individuals and family members annually with safe shelter, diverse case management services, life skills and empowerment programming, and a full array of housing services. CASS’ Glendale based Norton and Ramsey Social Justice Empowerment Center is one of CASS’ three current facilities. In Phoenix, CASS also operates a 600-bed emergency shelter for adults and a Family Shelter that can serve up to 150 family members with 24/7 services. Over the next year, CASS will open two new locations: (1) The CASS Senior Haven, a 170-bed facility for people 55 and older, located at a hotel that is being renovated; and (2) A 50-bed transitional housing program for people with a serious mental illness (SMI) located on the grounds of the Arizona State Hospital, along with an adjacent outpatient clinic to be operated by Copa Health.
For more information or to make a financial donation, please visit our website, www.cassaz.org.