Our Core Values

CSH’s core values are: integrity, respect, persistence, and making a difference.  We set as a central priority creating opportunities for tenants to live with dignity in accordance with their own interests, and we work hard to open the doors of supportive housing to people who face the greatest challenges.  We believe that individuals can transform their lives and should be offered the chance to do so.  We believe that homelessness can be prevented and ended.

We believe in these values, and we strive to incorporate them into our daily work and our management policies and practices.

Integrity
CSHers do what we say we’ll do, and do it as well as we possibly can.  We take responsibility for understanding how our work fits in with the work of the community and our partners.  We strive to do our work in accordance with the highest ethical standards.  When we make decisions, we take into account and respect the views of our partners, supportive housing tenants, and others in the community.

Respect
CSHers know that we can only achieve our goals by working respectfully with and valuing the contributions of staff, Board, funders, nonprofit, business and government partners, and the tenants of supportive housing.  Recognizing, cultivating, and tapping the talents of our staff and partners is a core element of our work.  We strive to recognize the role that power plays in relationships, and understand that individuals are shaped by different life experiences, priorities and interests.  Given that, we try to understand and balance diverse approaches to achieve the best possible results.  We support one another, clarify mutual expectations, hold each other accountable, and find respectful ways to help each other learn in order to improve our performance. 

Persistence  
CSHers seek positive solutions to problems, find ways to challenge the status quo to achieve better results, and take the initiative to cultivate relationships that lead to positive change.  CSHers don’t give up.  We engage in activities that may not produce immediate results, but that lay the groundwork for long-term transformation.  We find creative ways to change service and housing systems to end homelessness.

Making a Difference  
CSHers take action and get involved when and only when CSH’s work can make a difference and add value.  We believe that policies and practices can be changed for the better, and we take risks calculated to result in positive change.