The Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI)  is an independently funded, non-profit organization whose mission includes the prevention and ending of homelessness in the seven county, Metro Denver Region by facilitating, integrating and tracking cooperative, community-wide and regional systems of care for people who have become homeless, but seek to live in a stable home and maximize self-sufficiency.

Letter from Gary Sanford, Executive Director

Dear Community partners, stakeholders and advocates:

I am pleased to announce that I am officially in my new role as Executive Director of the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative.  It is with excitement and optimism that I join many of you in efforts to build local and regional responses to prevent and end homelessness.  As I settled into my new role, we found an article from the Rocky Mountain News dated December 9, 1994 with the headline “Homeless group blazes trail”.  The article goes on to say “metro area first in nation to team housing providers, government, and business to find homes.” (link to article)  This was an important reminder that our history has been:

• Working together to maximize our collective efforts,
• Leveraging financial and human resources to better understand and serve those in need,
• Elevate the voice and experience of those caught in homelessness,
• Provide a vision and paths toward greater regional collaboration.

In my new role with MDHI, it is my vision to provide leadership that will strengthen the organization’s governance, facilitate timely communication, increase transparency around decision-making, secure resources to advance our efforts and ensure inclusive participation in developing a regional vision and approach.  I feel fortunate to enter this exciting time with commitment from many in the Denver metro area to tackle the causes of homelessness which touch each of our communities.

Following are some immediate steps (next six months) to strengthen our collective efforts:

• Increase organizational capacity by:
  1. Securing funding to hire full-time staff,
  2. Engage interns, and
  3. Sponsor community workshop on the HEARTH Act.

 

•  Enhance MDHI effectiveness by addressing HUD technical assistance recommendations (see links for  HMIS Action Plan, MDHI HMIS Report,and MDHI Community Action Plan)

 

• Implement mechanisms to increase community input such as:
  1. Local Seven County meetings to discuss needs and vision for MDHI,
  2. Facilitate customer conversations to hear from our consumers,
  3. Distribute stakeholder survey in March to better understand local and regional needs and MDHI role,
  4. Develop group of decision makers to serve as community advisors, and
  5. Sponsor community workshop highlighting potential and the future opportunities of HMIS

 

• Strengthen governance structure by:
  1. Increasing Board representation from our Seven County regional stakeholders,
  2. Develop MDHI Board Policy Manual to clarify board and committee roles, and
  3. Plan Board retreat for Spring 2013 to develop 2013-14 budget, review and revise governance policies.

 

With individual and community contributions, 2013 will be a transformational year for MDHI. Thank you for all of your efforts and we look forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead. Together we will continue to make a difference for our neighbors in need.

Gary Sanford

Executive Director | Metro Denver Homeless Initiative

2505 18th Street | Denver, Colorado 80211

(303) 561-2193 | gary.sanford@unitedwaydenver.org

View Gary’s Biography here.