The Office of Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais has announced the hiring of Owen Westover to the position of homelessness initiatives coordinator and Irina Owens as director of homeless initiatives. Additionally, the city will now hold bi-weekly meetings with the leadership of the Manchester Continuum of Care to tackle specific aspects of homelessness in the city.
“Since my first day in office, I’ve made addressing homelessness in our city a top priority. Tackling this complex challenge requires putting the right policies and teams in place, along with a willingness to shift gears when necessary to get the best results,” said Ruais. “I believe homelessness should be brief, rare and one time and must be addressed comprehensively. I have confidence our new level of collaboration with the Continuum of Care, along with Irina and Owen being in place, will generate the improvements we need going forward to increase safety, and quality of life while transforming life here in Manchester.”
Earlier this year, Ruais announced 15 community partners joining the continuum, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development designated organization tasks with creating a community-wide strategy to end local homelessness. In April, a request by the city to become the collaborative applicant for the Manchester Continuum of Care was not accepted.
Matt McCall, chairman of the Continuum of Care and vice president of community programs at the Home for Little Wanderers, echoed Ruais’ sentiments saying, “The only way we can tackle a complex challenge like homelessness in Manchester is through a collaborative and comprehensive approach that focuses on the unique needs of our city along with the proven strategies for reducing and ending homelessness. There are no quick or easy solutions but working in conjunction with the city and local stakeholders, we can plot a path to end this debilitating and costly challenge for the people of Manchester.”
Previously, Irina Owens worked as the intake coordinator and data specialist for Families in Transition and before that was the co-founder of BAO Communications and worked as a recovery development outreach coordinator for Hope for NH Recovery.
Own Westover has worked for the city since July 2023 as a project coordinator within the Department of Housing Stability and then continued as a project coordinator for the city’s homeless initiatives operations as it transitioned into the mayor’s office. Prior to working in Manchester, Westover worked as a street outreach and housing stabilization specialist for Community Action Program Belknap-Merrimack Counties Inc. where he helped homeless individuals obtain access to supportive resources.
— ANDREW SYLVIA/MANCHESTER INK LINK
