Shelter Hotline
The Emergency Shelter Clearinghouse Hotline operates 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., 7-days a week, staffed by employees and volunteers. If you require shelter, call us at (360) 695-9677. In 2007, the ESC Hotline handled 14,753 incoming calls from homeless persons and served 3,753 people, including more than 1,000 children. Individuals and families are referred to a specific shelter, or may be provided vouchers to motels participating in the Motel Voucher program.

Community Voice Mail
This cost-effective program provides voice mail for homeless and low-income individuals and families, providing 24-hour access to phone messages from potential employers, landlords, social workers and family members. Since it’s inception in 1996, over 3,500 people/families have used Community Voice Mail. Of those CVM users reporting outcomes in 2005, 39% found employment and 36% found permanent housing.

Winter Hospitality Overflow
Created in 2001, the WHO program is a collaborative effort of Share and the Council to provide emergency overflow shelter space during the winter months, from November 1 through March 30. Shelter space is provided by St. Andrew Lutheran and St. Paul Lutheran churches. The shelters are open in the evenings for overnight guests and are staffed by volunteers, many of whom come from the local faith community. For more information on the program, visit www.whoprogram.org

Advocacy and Planning
The Council directs the Continuum of Care Planning Group, a consortium of nonprofit agencies, businesses, community groups, and government agencies, as well as homeless and formerly homeless people. The Continuum of Care identifies critical gaps in service, prioritizes needs and plans for solutions to reduce homelessness. As an extension of the group’s work, the Council has produced successful annual HUD grants every year since 1996, bringing more than $5 million to Clark County. The Council also facilitates both Clark County's 10-Year Homeless Plan to reduce homelessness by 50% by the year 2015, and our community's participation in Bridges to Housing, a partnership with three Oregon counties to serve homeless families.

Data Collection
Collecting good data is essential when designing effective strategies for ending homelessness. The Council's Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) takes the lead in data collection through Service Point, a web-enabled system that links homeless programs and gathers long-term unduplicated information. To supplement this data, we direct a biennial "point-in-time" survey of people who are homeless or at-risk. The Council conducts an annual "Homeless Count" to capture statistical and categorical information on the local homeless population to be used in the assessment and analysis of needs and services. The most recent count was conducted in January, 2008. Statistics from the count will be available by the end of February, 2008.

Community Outreach & Education
The Council brings people of diverse backgrounds and experience from our community together in a variety of forums throughout the year to exchange ideas, share goals and celebrate the work taking place in Clark County. From speaking engagements, sponsored events and forums to local participation in national outreach campaigns, the Council continuously engages the community to address the issues surrounding homelessness. The Council's newsletter "Coming Home" is published 3 times a year, providing members and donors with regular updates on our community’s response to the challenges of homelessness. The Council has two brochures available to the public; “The Issues of Homelessness” and “Working to End Homelessness”. For information on any outreach activity, or to receive a newsletter or brochure, call 360-993-9571.