“Sustainable Solutions to Homelessness:
Integrating Employment, Health Care & Housing”

May 16-17, 2011
Richmond Memorial Auditorium and Convention Center
Richmond, CA

Saffron Strand’s Second Annual Conference was a unique professional and public education event that positively contributed to reducing homelessness in Richmond, Contra Costa County, and throughout the San Francisco Bay Area in many ways, including:

•    Total participation of about 150 professionals and others working with the homeless as well as public officials, volunteers, and concerned citizens of Bay Area communities
•    More than 30 municipalities represented, mostly in the Bay Area, but a number from other California communities and communities in other states
•    International, national, and local Bay Area, Contra Costa, and Richmond-based authorities sharing their expertise and experience as plenary speakers, panel discussion members, and workshop leaders
•    Networking opportunities with colleagues from throughout California and from British Columbia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Washington (state), Washington (DC), and Wisconsin
•    Overall very positive plenary and workshop evaluation results covering the full two days and more than 2 dozen educational and networking activities
As we did for our First Annual Conference in 2010, we measured performance of the 2011 Conference through administration of an “Overall Evaluation” and individual “Workshop Evaluations.” These evaluations enabled us to gauge the effectiveness of the Conference and plan for our Third Annual Conference, scheduled for May 21-22, 2012 in Richmond.

To download the summary of the “Overall Evaluation,” click here.

Conference Agenda
For the 2011 Conference schedule, including plenary and luncheon topics, speakers, and workshops: Click here

Conference Program
To download the complete 2011 Conference Program: Click here
For information about Saffron Strand’s 2012 Conference, May 21-22, please e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Conference Description

Our first annual conference in May last year pioneered new, employment-focused solutions to homelessness in the Bay Area. “Bridges Out of Homelessness” brought together more than 200 local stakeholders and regional and national experts for a unique, unconference-like event. Response from conference participants in 2010 was hugely positive, encouraging us to expand the conference for 2011.

Homelessness remains at crisis levels nationwide, with foreclosures continuing and the average unemployment rate still near 10%. Although conditions in the Bay Area run the gamut, homeless remains on the rise. Despite job growth “green jobs,” unemployment in Richmond and other West Contra Costa communities remains nearly double the national average.

High unemployment, high cost of living, and reallocation of government resources combine to generate more homeless persons at a faster rate than already stressed public housing and emergency shelter programs can accommodate. At the county level, the “housing-first” approach to help the homeless remains the first priority. Yet, ongoing budget woes throughout the Bay Area stymie the housing-first approach. The most recent Contra Costa data show an increase in the concentration of the homeless population in the worst-affected areas, including Richmond and other West County communities.

New solutions to homelessness must increase the capacity of homeless adults to reduce their economic dependence on public assistance. Because of increasingly limited public and private resources devoted to supporting the homeless, such solutions must involve gainful employment or micro enterprise. These new solutions also must integrate and help improve existing health care and housing services for the homeless with the objective of optimizing long-term sustainability.

Our second annual conference – “Sustainable Solutions to Homelessness” -- convened for 2 full days (9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.) with opening plenary sessions, networking luncheons, and more than 20 professionally targeted workshops. Conference participants met and exchanged views with influential national, regional, and local experts while exploring and developing new “employment-focused” solutions to homelessness in the Bay Area.

Goals of the Conference

Our 2011 Conference enabled all engaged in working with the homeless or managing issues involving the homeless to improve their professional expertise and performance. “Sustainable Solutions to Homelessness” provided practical ways to increase the cost-effectiveness of the continuum of care and transition of the homeless out of homelessness. Conference goals included:

1. Convene stakeholders to examine new, cost-effective, employment-focused solutions to homelessness

2. Identify gaps, incentives, and disincentives in existing programs for the homeless and practical ways to integrate new solutions

3. Consider best practices of traditional and new solutions in the homeless continuum of care and transition

4. Focus on specific programs to optimize employability and career potential of homeless persons

5. Use Richmond -- where growing numbers of the homeless face every possible challenge -- as the proving ground for new, employment-focused solutions to homelessness

Who attended the 2011 Conference:

-- Local and state homeless program administrators and executive staff
-- Public health providers, outreach staff, case managers, and social workers
-- Primary and emergency medical care, substance abuse, and mental health providers
-- State legislators, their legislative staff, and local elected officials
-- Family, drug, and criminal court judges
-- Law enforcement leaders and police
-- Non-profit organizations and advocates for the homeless
-- Community health center and hospital executives, staff, and board members
-- Public housing providers, landlords, and tenants
-- People who have experienced homelessness and achieved their own solutions
-- Philanthropic and funding agencies
-- Local businesses