Message from our CEO and Board Chair
On behalf of the entire staff and Board of Directors of Hope Solutions, we are proud to share our Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Report, reflecting our continued success over the past year. Our growth as a community in 2022-2023 was monumental. We welcomed 15 new staff, three new board members, three new Resident Empowerment Program Housing Advocates and hundreds of new supporters throughout the year. This expanded capacity enabled us to connect over 3,500 people with the housing and services that end homelessness and transform lives—more than any other year.
Hope Solutions continued our deep commitment to improving equity both internally and with the clients we serve. As a staff, we looked inward, acknowledging that we cannot be a mission-driven organization without first addressing our own inequities. We invested in continuing our work to further our diverse and inclusive culture. This process culminated in adopting our new Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging plan and empowering an internal DEIB committee.
Looking ahead, we have much to be hopeful for. As we share in this report, we are currently exploring six potential housing development projects with faith partners—representing a new strategy to build or buy new housing. We know that to make change in our community, we must increase the housing supply.
In the meantime, we are proud of how our team continues to support our clients by identifying housing, providing mental health and case management, coordinating our emergency housing voucher program, launching supportive services at Mercy Housing’s newly opened senior housing complex (Hacienda Heights in Richmond) and adding homelessness prevention services.
We are constantly inspired by our dedicated Board and committed staff, who drive our mission to end homelessness every day. And we hold deep appreciation for you, our loyal community of supporters.
With Gratitude,
Hope Solutions Board of Directors
Hope Solutions Resident Empowerment Team
Faith & Community Partners
Boy Scout Troops 246 and 282
Boys Team Charity – Walnut Creek
Church of Santa Maria
Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church
Concord United Methodist Church
Congregation B’nai Shalom
Congregation B’nai Tikvah
Danville Congregational Church
Episcopal Church of the Resurrection
First Christian Church of Concord
First Church of Christ, Scientist,
Pleasant Hill
First Presbyterian Church of Concord
Grace Episcopal Church of Martinez
Grace Presbyterian Church
Kiwanis Club of Moraga Valley
Lafayette Christian Church
Lafayette Orinda Presbyterian Church
Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary
Miramonte Interact
Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist
Church (MDUUC)
NCL Acalanes Chapter
Orinda Community Church
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church
Rotary Club of Concord
Rotary Club of Lafayette
San Ramon Valley United Methodist
Church
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church
St. Bonaventure Catholic Community
St. Ignatius of Antioch
St. Perpetua Catholic Church
St. Perpetua School
St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church
TAPS
Temple Isaiah
The Bay Church
Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church
The Challenge
The primary cause of homelessness is the lack of affordable housing. California & Contra Costa County continue to face an extreme shortage of housing.
Who is homeless in Contra Costa County?
People experiencing homelessness in California are Californians
Housing inequity is racial inequity
Homeless data across California and Contra Costa County
demonstrates that Native Americans and Black/African Americans are disproportionately represented in the homeless population compared to the overall population
by 7x and 4x, respectively.
Our Impact
Ending Homelessness
Improving Self-Sufficiency
Youth Success
Walking the Path Together
When their twin sons were six months old, Margus and Deysi moved to Los Medanos Village apartments. Their twin boys started to crawl the day they moved, and their parents were thankful for more space for their boys. “It was a blessing. We went from living in one bedroom as an entire family to a spacious two-bedroom apartment,” says Margus. As grateful as they were for the apartment, they were equally grateful to connect with the Hope Solutions’ onsite Youth Enrichment Coordinator, RoseMary.
Hope Solutions’ onsite Youth Enrichment Coordinators are a critical part of the support services we provide to our clients.
Our Future
While our community still faces incredible challenges in solving poverty and homelessness, we are optimistic
based on our past success and future opportunities. We are completing our Five-Year Strategic Plan and beginning the creation of our next plan. We are kicking off this process and expect our new plan to be published in Spring 2024.
A significant part of our 2019 Strategic Plan was to commence work to increase the housing supply in our community. This is a daunting task but one we know we must undertake to make change. We are partnering with several faith communities to explore the construction of cottage communities to add more affordable housing in the County. These developments range in size from six to twenty units that are built on foundations, with private bathrooms, kitchens, and all amenities. They will consist of studio, one- or twobedroom unit cottages, shared common space, and most importantly, onsite services consistent with our permanent housing and support services model. If you are interested in being part of this vital work, please contact us about our Homes Heal Hearts Capital Campaign to raise private funds to support this effort.
How YOU Can Help
Our supporters have been at the heart of Hope Solutions since day one. There are lots of ways to make a difference.
