October 13, 2004 

Hull Street Location to House 20 Clients

RICHMOND – The Daily Planet celebrated the grand opening of its new Safe Haven facility today with a ceremony attended by city officials and nearly 50 supporters at the new $1 million, 20-bed facility located in the 2900 block of Hull Street.

"The Daily Planet and its many supporters have worked very hard to make this new Safe Haven facility become a reality, and now we have seen our dream come to fruition," said Peter Prizzio, executive director of the Daily Planet. "It’s been a long process, but we never could have gotten to this point without the help and financial support of organizations like Bank of America, Homeward, The Community Foundation, our builder (?) and many, many others."

Located in a residential community, the 6,700-square foot facility includes bedrooms, baths, offices, kitchen, and dinning area, meeting room, laundry and recreational area. Medical and other services not provided on site are easily accessible by bus.

The Daily Planet Safe Haven program serves severely mentally ill or dually diagnosed homeless men and women. This particular subpopulation is not served by other programs because of their complex needs and frequent resistance to both mental health and or homeless services. They suffer from major mental illnesses, most commonly schizophrenia, major affective disorders, and severe personality disorders.

In keeping with the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act that provided for the creation of Safe Havens, eligible persons may reside in Safe Haven for an unspecified duration. This is one of the unique features of Safe Haven. However the program can be completed in six to eight months. A few participants stay a year or longer. Flexibility and an individualized approach are key features of the program.

For nearly 35 years, the Daily Planet has been actively addressing the issue of homelessness in Central Virginia. The Daily Planet’s mission is to strengthen and enrich the lives of those who are homeless, potentially homeless, or lacking the social, emotional and financial resources to create a stable lifestyle, and to provide a safe and supportive community where survival and growth needs are met through appropriate methods of intervention responsive to the needs of the individual.