Who We Are

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The Homeless Alliance of Western New York was created in 1992 by the Erie County Legislature to find ways to reduce homelessness. By 2000, the Alliance had departed from our governmental roots, and now acts as an independent not-for-profit organization. Our mission is to facilitate dialogue and strategic action between government, public, and private sectors to end homelessness.

Working with local service providers and community leaders, we seek to maximize assistance available to homeless individuals and the agencies that serve them in the Western New York area through education, original research, advocacy, community planning, and other collaborative efforts. Annually, the Alliance enters the Continuum of Care funding competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on behalf of service providers in Erie County. As the coordinating agency for the Erie County Homeless Continuum of Care, we are proud to have brought over fifty million dollars to area homeless service and housing providers over the past six years.

The Alliance is composed of four full-time employees, one part-time, a nine-person governing board, and well over seventy Alliance member organizations. Our membership includes representatives from Federal, County, and City governmental agencies, executive directors and staff members from local not-for-profit agencies, persons from the business community, and formerly homeless individuals.

Interested parties are welcome to attend Alliance monthly meetings held at 3:00pm on the third Wednesday of every month at the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County (742 Delaware Avenue). Please call 853-1101 for additional information.