The Chester County Department of Community Development (DCD) has landed on the map of leaders in the fight against homelessness, bagging international recognition for their meaningful strides in the crisis. Acknowledged by Built for Zero at their international conference in Denver, Colorado, the DCD stood out for achieving Quality Data for the Chronic Population, which denotes a strong infrastructure to tackle homelessness, reported the Chester County website.
Hitting the milestone involves a comprehensive approach that unites the county under a single definition of what it means to end homelessness, supports a countywide coordination team, employs real-time client-level data, ensures equitable distribution of services, and uses targeted data to steer housing investments. This Chester County success story, having seen a 33 percent decrease in first-time homelessness from 694 individuals in 2022 to 465 in 2024, is no accident; credited to the tireless efforts of Dolores Colligan and her team, and the measurable impact of the county's initiative was highlighted by Chester County CEO David Byerman. He stated, "We’ve seen a 33 percent decrease in first-time homelessness over the past two years – from 694 individuals in 2022 to 465 in 2024, and the number of people entering emergency shelters has been cut nearly in half over the past five years," as noted by the county's website.
The department wasn't just praised for data collection. Expanded partnerships with new organizations and behavioral health providers were also recognized, as was the move to elevate the voices of those with lived experiences of homelessness in planning and decision-making processes. “We continue to prioritize affordable housing development across the county. These achievements reflect our unwavering commitment to ensuring that every adult, child, and senior has a safe and stable place to call home,” Byerman said, as per the county's announcement.
The power of collaboration can't be understated in this narrative, and the department has rallied more than 150 partners and stakeholders toward a common goal of eradicating homelessness. According to DCD Director Dolores Colligan, “The information they contribute enables us to make data-driven decisions about how resources are allocated and how programs are designed. Without their decade-long collaboration and dedication, the progress we have made would not be possible.” Built for Zero, the movement heralding this advance, works with over 100 communities aiming to put an end to homelessness through measurable, equitable, and sustainable means, aligning goals, methodologies, and inter-sector collaboration for lasting change, as mentioned on the county's website.
