What are some reasons that people become homeless in silicon valley?
Silicon Valley’s “helping hand to prevent homelessness” is urgently expanding its community outreach program. Since 1989, the not-for-profit Housing Industry Foundation (HIF) has helped over 10,000 needy households with emergency assistance in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. In collaboration with a network of community agencies, HIF pays housing expenses of up to $1,000 for low-income individuals and families threatened with homelessness or uninhabitable conditions. Facing a recession-driven increase in requests for help, HIF has been seeking new ways to raise funds. HIF is launching a new outreach program to expand its donor participation to the general public, who have joined the organization through social media. Social networks, such as Facebook and LinkedIn, are reshaping charitable activities across the country. Founded by the local apartment industry, HIF has traditionally been mostly funded by corporate donors such as apartment owners, builders, realtors, mortgage bankers,
Hunger is the most extreme form of poverty. The quantity and quality of food eaten affects a person’s ability to participate in society, family, school and work. Yet the cost of living in Santa Clara County is so high, many people cannot afford to meet their basic food needs. Nearly half of low-income county residents go hungry sometime during each month. Yet, more than half of residents who are eligible for the federal Food Stamp Program aren’t accessing the program, representing a potential loss of $83 million in federal assistance annually. Other government-funded food programs are also underutilized. Step Up Silicon Valley will focus on expanding awareness about publicly funded food resources, creating one-stop food distribution centers, expanding meal programs, and reducing bureaucratic barriers that prevent people from enrolling in Food Stamps and other programs. The coalition supports changing the eligibility standard for Food Stamps and other publicly funded food programs to th
