Partnerships
National Partners
The National Alliance to End Homelessness
https://www.endhomelessness.org
NAEH is the premier resource for homeless and housing service best practices. Most recently, Open Doors collaborated with NAEH for the Emergency Shelter Learning Collaborative, to enrich our housing first model of shelter services to be more housing focused.
The National Low Income Housing Coalition
https://www.nlihc.org
NLIHC’s goal is to preserve existing federally assisted homes and housing resources, expand the supply of low income housing, and establish housing stability as the primary purpose of federal low income housing policy. NLIHC’s annual Out of Reach study is used to track the rising housing costs as compared to Area Median Incomes (AMIs).
State Partners
Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness
https://www.cceh.org
CCEH is the state of Connecticut’s leading homeless and housing advocacy organization. Their purpose is to create change through leadership, advocacy, and building the capacity of members and the field to respond to environmental challenges. Most recently, Michele Conderino, Open Doors Executive Director, joined the board of directors of CCEH to provide area expertise in their mission.
The Partnership for Strong Communities
https://www.pschousing.org
PSC is a statewide nonprofit policy and advocacy organization dedicated to ending homelessness, expanding affordable housing, and building strong communities in Connecticut. Open Doors collaborates with PSC on advocacy efforts, most recently as part of the Heroes of Housing and Homelessness campaign.
County Partners
The Housing Collective
https://thehousingcollective.org
Through a Collective Impact approach, The Housing Collective coordinated the strategies of prevention, housing, employment, advocacy, and services to ensure that episodes of homelessness are rare, brief, and non-recurring. Through The Housing Collective, Open Doors works closely with other homeless and housing services entities on the creation of countywide service approaches to ending homelessness.
Local Partners
Norwalk Community Health Center
https://www.norwalkchc.org
A Federally Qualified Health Center, NCHC provides high quality medical care to anyone in need.
NCHC operates a health center at Open Doors' Smilow Life Center, providing comprehensive adult medicine, pediatric medicine, women's health, behavioral health, chronic care management, and wellness programs to the greater community.
Career Resources Inc
https://www.careerresources.org
CRI is an employment expert in the state of Connecticut and provides employment placement services for the greater Norwalk area as part of our Financial Opportunity Center.
Stamford Adult & Continuing Education
https://www.stamfordadulted.org
Stamford Public Schools Adult & Continuing Education provides multiple sessions of adult English as a Second Language (ESL) classes in the fall and spring at Open Doors' Smilow Life Center.
These courses are provided at no cost to residents of Norwalk, Stamford, Darien, New Canaan, Westport, Weston, and Wilton.
