Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside a passionate team, dedicated partners, and generous donors, all focused on a shared goal: making homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring in our community. At CFTH, we are committed to addressing homelessness through a data-driven, strategic, and collaborative approach. Thanks to this, we’ve made significant strides and continue to expand our efforts to ensure that we can serve everyone experiencing homelessness in our region.

However, as we look ahead, we recognize that our work is far from done. For me, the new year is always a chance for renewal—a moment to reflect on what we’ve accomplished and to look ahead to what’s possible. The first year in any new role is full of “firsts.” I’ve learned a great deal, and I recognize that everyone who worked alongside me has experienced those same firsts. That kind of change is not always easy, but it is necessary for growth. The work we do is no different.

As we move forward, one of our key initiatives this year will be enhancing coordination with our partners to create new "front doors" to the system. By streamlining access to shelter, housing, and services, we aim to make it faster and easier for individuals to transition from crisis to stability. But our work won’t stop at addressing immediate needs. While our data has helped us design programs that meet the urgent needs of those experiencing homelessness, our ultimate goal is to prevent homelessness before it begins. This means strengthening cross-system partnerships to create long-term solutions that tackle the root causes of homelessness.