Lunch & Learn discussion to address role of permanent supportive housing

The SAW Housing Summit partners Lunch & Learn returns on Wednesday to discuss permanent supportive housing.

The event will be held at the Waynesboro Embrace Center at noon. This is the fifth installment in the one hour Lunch & Learn series.

Lydia Campbell, the community-based services manager for Valley Community Service Board, will explain permanent supportive housing’s role in stabilizing housing for certain vulnerable populations.

“Permanent supportive housing is a term that is thrown around a lot as a solution for folks experiencing homelessness,” said Campbell. “I think it’s really important that our community understands what it really is and best practices associated with it.”

Campbell believes a community conversation on permanent supportive housing is timely.

“Folks who should come include landlords and property owners who want to be a part of the solution for our community’s most vulnerable people,” she said. “It’s for people who love or want to love their neighbors, and folks who want to see permanent supportive housing demystified.”

The Lunch & Learn series was created to take a closer look at some of the topics discussed at the two-day SAW Housing Summit held in October.

Participation in this brown bag lunch series is free.

“Housing is such a complex issue to fully understand, which is why the Lunch & Learn series has been such a useful way to bring the community together to focus on one specific topic at a time,” said Dan Layman, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge.

“This gives us a great opportunity to take a deep dive into a single housing topic, as well as time between gatherings to digest and reflect on what we learned. It is much like putting together a puzzle one piece at a time.”

Past topics have included renter’s rights, Housing First as a methodology, property managers and accessible housing.

The sixth Lunch Learn, scheduled for April 26, will explore the role of thermal shelters.

The Waynesboro Embrace Center is located at 932 Fir St. in Waynesboro.

For more information, visit https://sawhousing.com