CONCORD - Gov. John Lynch today accepted a draft of the New Hampshire 10-year plan to end homelessness, prepared by the Governor's Interagency Council on Homelessness.

"Every family, every person deserves a decent, safe place to live," Gov. Lynch said. "Too many New Hampshire people, including families and children, are without permanent homes."

From 2003 to 2005, calls to the New Hampshire Homeless Hotline have nearly doubled, and a growing number are families with children.

"No parent should have to start the day worrying about where their children will sleep that night," Gov. Lynch said.

"Reaching the goal of ending chronic homelessness in New Hampshire requires a new way of approaching the problem, and a new degree of collaboration among all sectors of our communities and our state," Gov. Lynch said.

A concrete 10-year plan assists with that effort by positioning the state to take maximum advantage of federal resources, providing the framework for aligning all efforts throughout the State of New Hampshire, helps better coordinate the effort of exist support services, and can help improve statewide efficiencies and outcomes, Gov. Lynch said.

Members of the Task Force that developed the plan include lawmakers, state officials, local officials, representatives of nonprofits, health care providers, and housing representatives.

The draft plan is available at www.nh.gov.

Gov. Lynch also proclaimed today, December 21st, as National Homeless Memorial Day in New Hampshire. A copy of the proclamation is below.

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State of New Hampshire
By His Excellency
John Lynch, Governor

A Proclamation

HOMELESS MEMORIAL DAY
December 21, 2005

WHEREAS, Adequate housing is essential for healthy families and communities; and

WHEREAS, Soaring housing costs and a shortage of both rental and single-family housing stock make housing inaccessible to increasing numbers of New Hampshire residents, many of whom are working full-time; and

WHEREAS, Last year 6,672 people, a quarter of whom were children, were housed in our state's emergency shelters and almost 10,000 were turned away for lack of available beds; and

WHEREAS, Untold numbers of homeless families are living with relatives or friends; and

WHEREAS, Too many people die alone each year in the cold; and

WHEREAS, December 21, 2005 is the 10th annual National Homeless Memorial Day;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOHN H. LYNCH, Governor of the State of New Hampshire, do hereby proclaim December 21, 2005 as Homeless Memorial Day in New Hampshire, and urge all citizens to work together so that all of us have at least basic shelter.

Given at the Executive Chamber in Concord, this 8th day of December, in the year of Our Lord two thousand and five, and the independence of the United States of America, two hundred and twenty-nine.

John H. Lynch
Governor