LOS ANGELES, October 28, 2009 - On any given night, an estimated 43,000 people are homeless in Los Angeles’ Continuum of Care, according to the 2009 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Report (HC09), released today by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). The number of homeless people in Los Angeles, while still the highest in the nation, represents an estimated 38% decrease from 2007.

Although the data shows that a significant number of homeless in Los Angeles are still without shelter, it also demonstrates progress in the City’s and County’s efforts at reducing homelessness. The decrease reflects a combination of increased focus on homelessness by Los Angeles City and County leaders, investments in housing and innovative programs, and a strong network of agencies focused on ending homelessness. While progress has been made, two out of three homeless people in Los Angeles remain on the streets, including families and children.

LAHSA, a Joint Powers Authority created and managed by both the City and County of Los Angeles, is the lead agency for the Los Angeles Continuum of Care, a consortium of homeless service providers that encompasses all but three cities throughout Los Angeles County, including the City of Los Angeles. As required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), LAHSA conducts a homeless census every two years during the last 10 days in January. Service providers in the Continuum of Care, which includes approximately 200 independent agencies, use these census estimates to plan for critically-needed services. The 2009 count was conducted from January 27-29, and excludes the cities of Glendale, Long Beach and Pasadena, which all conduct their own counts. Adding these three cities to the Los Angeles homeless count, the total homeless population for Los Angeles County is approximately 50,000, on any given night.

“Los Angeles’ new homeless data shows tangible results from the efforts of the City, County and the Continuum of Care agencies to address poverty and homelessness,” said Michael Arnold, LAHSA’s Executive Director.

“We will continue to build on our momentum and progress, but more needs to be done - we still have almost 15,000 people in shelters and temporary housing, and more than 30,000 unsheltered people on our streets every night,” said Supervisor Don Knabe, Chairman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

The decline in the numbers for Los Angeles appears consistent with similar national decreases seen in areas like New York (-30% in street homelessness), Indianapolis (-22%) and Riverside County (-22%), which have also experienced significant reductions in homelessness between 2007 and 2009. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, 44% of the nation’s 2009 local homeless counts report decreases. “We have not won the war against homelessness in Los Angeles, but we are making progress,” Arnold continued. “Ironically, the recession may have had a counter-intuitive impact on homelessness as the declining real estate market has also helped lower housing rental rates, giving more people access to affordable housing.”

However, thousands of people have lost jobs in the Los Angeles region. As the unemployment rate continues to rise there are signs that homelessness could increase again. It is estimated that nearly 10,000 people were found living on private property in areas not meant for human habitation.

Major region-wide efforts to reduce homelessness are ongoing. Many factors likely contributed to this decline including new and expanded programs implemented by the Los Angeles CoC network of housing and service providers. Many of these new programs are funded by the County and City of Los Angeles, such as the County’s $100-million Homeless Prevention Initiative, the City’s Permanent Supportive Housing Program and expanded Section 8 vouchers that specifically target homeless individuals and families. Most importantly, local housing and service providers are making an important paradigm shift with programs centered on housing homeless families and individuals, and providing them with the tools and skills they need to remain housed. The City and County have embarked on an unprecedented expansion of a collaborative effort to reduce homelessness in recent years. The decline reflects their success.

“The good news here — that homelessness has declined significantly in Los Angeles — can be attributed to a new spirit of joint cooperation between the City, the County and the service providers who make up the Continuum of Care. We still have a long way to go, but this is real progress, and we are very gratified to see it,” said Commissioner Howard Katz, Chair of the LAHSA Board of Commissioners.

Like previous years, to collect the most reliable figures, four distinct components of the census count were completed: (1) a street count, (2) a shelter count, (3) a demographic survey and (4) a “hidden homeless” telephone survey. To ensure greater accuracy of these elements, more than 3,000 volunteers participated in the data collection process conducted over 13,000 square miles of the region - an area larger than nine states in the nation. Additionally, experts from the University of North Carolina’s Survey Research Unit, skilled in tracking hard-to-reach populations, provided data collection tools and statistical analysis.

While the methodology for the 2009 Homeless Count remained consistent with previous counts, enhancements to the data collection process have collectively enabled researchers to extrapolate more detailed information. Highlights of these enhancements include:

• 50% increase in the number of census tracts covered from 2007
• More than 3,000 volunteers covered more than 13,000 miles
• 3,073 interviews with the homeless were conducted
• More than 4,000 households were contacted during a telephone survey to locate the number of homeless living temporarily off the streets, but near private residences

About the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) is a joint powers authority of the City and County of Los Angeles, created in 1993 to address the problems of homelessness in Los Angeles County. LAHSA plans, funds and administers programs that assist homeless individuals and families in their transition to permanent housing. LAHSA is the lead agency in the HUD-funded Los Angeles Continuum of Care, and coordinates and manages over $70 million annually in federal, state, county and city funds for programs providing shelter, housing and services to homeless persons. Additionally, LAHSA partners with the City and County to integrate services and housing opportunities to ensure wide distribution of service and housing options. LAHSA funds agencies that address many homeless populations including survivors of domestic violence and their children, persons struggling with chronic homelessness, veterans, youth transitioning from foster care, and individuals with mental health needs. For more information, please see http://www.lahsa.org

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Agency Issues Call-to-Action for Companies and Thought Leaders to Join Public Discussion On Major Issues Across Critical Business Sectors

Initial Discussion Will Focus on Sustainability and the Environment; Panel to Include Experts from Twilight Earth, Inhabitot, GreenbuildingsNYC, Green Mom Review and The Alternative Consumer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - October 28, 2009 - MWW Group, one of the nation’s top ten public relations firms, today announced the launch of MWW Pulse (www.mww.com/mwwpulse).  Bringing together a diverse panel of online thought leaders, MWW Pulse will be focused on elevating the online conversation and shedding new insights relevant to critical industries and business categories.  MWW Pulse will provide a single platform where expert contributors will share opinion, answer questions and address relevant trends in their respective industries and sectors.  The first MWW Pulse panel will focus on Sustainability and the Environment followed by Health & Wellness, Consumer Technology and Personal Finance.

“MWW Pulse is a call-to-action urging companies and thought leaders to discuss and analyze issues that affect their respective industries from various stakeholder point-of-views and in an open and transparent manner.  This platform will serve as an online ‘think tank’ bringing together influencers in a productive, meaningful conversation,” said Michael W. Kempner, president and CEO of MWW Group. “We chose to tackle sustainability and responsible environmental stewardship as our first focus group as these issues are critical to our staff, clients, end users and the customers of our clients and have implications that go well beyond the course of normal business.”

As a web platform, the functional goal of MWW Pulse is to aggregate information and commentary from online influencers on major business issues. The panelists will use blog posts, video and audio media to share opinions and interact with industry audiences, consumers and MWW Group clients via http://www.mww.com/mwwpulse.

The Sustainability and Environment panel will feature industry experts Jasmin Malik Chua/ Inhabitot and Ecouterre; Adam Shake/Twilight Earth; Maureen O’Connor/The Alternative Consumer; Stephen Del Percio/GreenbuildingsNYC and Janet Dean/The Green Mom Review.  As part of the discussion, the panelists will highlight trends, offer predictions for enterprise sustainability and address urgent environmental events and news. Topics will include combating climate change; ways businesses can improve operations and drive revenue through strong corporate citizenship; and how businesses can be more responsible throughout functions like supply-chain management, sourcing, transportation, and community involvement.

“The purpose of MWW Pulse is to create a conversation that will enable our clients, consumers and industry stakeholders to stay current on the latest news and trends, share best practices and have a vibrant and productive dialogue on issues that matter to their businesses,” said Joseph Becker, GVP, Group Leader for DialogueMedia, MWW Group’s digital public relations practice. “These panels illustrate MWW’s commitment to innovation by offering a number of unparalleled strategic benefits for our clients; both helping our clients build relationships with key thought leaders while also giving them unique insights that can help move their business.”

About MWW Group

MWW Group is one of the nation’s top ten public relations agencies and is known for its results-driven approach to public relations and “Aim High… and Deliver” commitment to client service. For the past four years, MWW Group has been honored with the #1 ranking in the Holmes Report agency client satisfaction survey. MWW Group achieved top rankings in the categories of account leadership, strength of account team, creativity, strategy and planning, and program execution. In 2006, MWW Group was named PR Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report and Mid-size PR Firm of the Year by PR News, in recognition of the firm’s growth, strategic account leadership and industry-leading employee retention. MWW Group is part of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG). 

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Aronsohn Brings Nearly Two Decades of Private and Public Sector Experience as Former   Pfizer Executive, Congressional Candidate, Member of Clinton and McGreevey Administrations and Current Ridgewood Councilman

East Rutherford, NJ - October 27, 2009 - MWW Group (www.mww.com), one of the nation’s top 10 public relations firms, announced today that Paul Aronsohn has joined the company as a vice president. Aronsohn brings nearly 20 years of experience working directly with elected officials, legislators, administrators and corporate executives.  His extensive communications and public affairs background spans across both the public and private sectors.  As a result, Aronsohn will service roles in both MWW’s corporate and public affairs practice.

Aronsohn’s experience includes senior public affairs positions at Pfizer Inc. and within the Clinton and McGreevey Administrations.  Additionally, he currently serves as a Councilman in Ridgewood, N.J.

“Paul is an outstanding addition to our team. He brings extensive experience and perspective to our team, gained from having worked in high level positions in the private sector and in the top levels of federal and state government,” said Michael W. Kempner, president and CEO of MWW Group.  “His insider’s knowledge and deep network of relationships will be a tremendous asset to our team and clients.”

Before joining MWW Group, Aronsohn served as a public affairs executive at Pfizer Inc., where he led public affairs efforts to promote life enhancing, life saving medicines and handled issues management on international, national and regional levels.

Previously, Aronsohn ran for Congress in New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District, receiving a higher percentage of the vote than any Democrat in recent decades.  Prior to that, he served for a year as communications director and spokesperson for then Governor James McGreevey.  Aronsohn also spent eight years working on foreign policy and national security issues as a member of the Clinton Administration. At the U.S. Department of State, he handled a wide range of international security matters - from non-proliferation to arms control to peacekeeping to Middle East policy. Aronsohn also served three American Ambassadors to the United Nations - Madeleine Albright, Bill Richardson, and Richard Holbrooke.

Aronsohn is currently a Councilman in Ridgewood, NJ where he works on issues across both the public and private sectors.   He is also a member of Rotary International and a Board Member of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association.  He holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees from The George Washington University.

About MWW Group

MWW Group is one of the nation’s top ten public relations agencies and is known for its results-driven approach to public relations and “Aim High. Deliver” commitment to client service. For four years in a row, MWW Group was honored with the #1 ranking in the Holmes Report agency client satisfaction survey. MWW Group achieved top rankings in the categories of account leadership, strength of account team, creativity, strategy and planning, and program execution. In 2008, MWW Group was named PR Agency of the Year by The American Business Awards and Mid-size PR Firm of the Year by PR News, in recognition of the firm’s growth, strategic account leadership and industry-leading employee retention. MWW Group is part of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG). 

Founder and CEO of MWW Group Recognized for Lifetime of Achievement in the Public Relations Industry

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., October 26, 2009 - MWW Group (http://www.mww.com), one of the nation’s top ten public relations firms, announced today that its founder, president and CEO Michael W. Kempner is to be inducted into the PR News Hall of Fame at the 2009 PR People Awards.  As an inductee into the Hall of Fame, Kempner joins a select group of individuals who are pioneers and innovators within the public relations industry.  The formal induction will take place at the PR News awards on December 1, 2009 in Washington, D.C.

The Hall of Fame honor recognizes Kempner’s leadership in and contribution to the communications industry, deep expertise in solving communications challenges, and his dedication to the firm he founded and its employees.  Under Kempner’s leadership over the past 23 years, MWW Group grew to become one of the largest and fastest growing firms in the nation, making it among the most sought-after agencies by clients across all categories. MWW Group’s success is born out of Kempner’s “Aim High. Deliver.” mandate, a philosophy rooted in setting and achieving goals that exceed client expectations.

Kempner is also a vocal leader on sustainability, environmental stewardship, and responsible corporate citizenship in the public relations industry. In 2009, MWW Group became only the second U.S. public relations firm to receive ISO14001 certification, denoting the firm’s commitment to responsible environmental conservation and reporting. And for the third year running, MWW Group is carbon free, having offset its emissions through its partnership with CarbonFund.org. Each year, MWW Group also selects a number of causes for pro-bono services, and selects community volunteering opportunities for its employees.

“MWW Group would not have become the place that it is without the tremendously talented team of individuals who help lead our agency as well as our great clients, many of whom have been with MWW for years,” said Kempner. “For more than two decades, we’ve delivered outstanding results and crafted innovative campaigns for clients of all stripes, from premier global brands to new and exciting start-ups. From social media to environmental stewardship, our team has stood at the forefront of the industry, a credit to the entire agency. I’m deeply proud of the work we’ve done and the way that we’ve done it.”

About MWW Group

MWW Group is one of the nation’s top ten public relations agencies and is known for its results-driven approach to public relations and “Aim High… and Deliver” commitment to client service. For the past four years, MWW Group has been honored with the #1 ranking in the Holmes Report agency client satisfaction survey. MWW Group achieved top rankings in the categories of account leadership, strength of account team, creativity, strategy and planning, and program execution. In 2006, MWW Group was named PR Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report and Mid-size PR Firm of the Year by PR News, in recognition of the firm’s growth, strategic account leadership and industry-leading employee retention. MWW Group is part of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG). 

Annual Survey of Public Relations Agency Employees Recognizes MWW As a Top-Rated Firm for Workplace Atmosphere, Career Growth/Training and Employee Programs

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., October 8 - MWW Group (http://www.mww.com), one of the nation’s top ten public relations firms, announced today that it has been named ‘One of The Best Places to Work in Public Relations’ by PR News Platinum PR Awards.  Among the top honors in the public relations industry, the annual list is compiled via a nationwide survey of employees at global, mid-size and boutique agencies.  Commissioned by PR News in August 2009, the survey assessed employee feedback on workplace issues such as transparent communication, opportunity for career growth, company incentives, career training programs, flexible work hours, and volunteer days, among others.

“What truly makes MWW Group a great place to work are the talented people who come each day motivated to deliver on our ‘Aim High. Deliver.’ philosophy,” said Michael W. Kempner, president and CEO of MWW Group.  “We strive for a positive and vibrant workplace where our staff can grow, and in fact, many of our senior staff members have been here for years, some starting off at the entry level. It is a testament to our commitment to our people that so many chose to build a career here.”

MWW Group believes in corporate responsibility, helping its employees achieve a healthy work-life balance, and offering ample opportunities for growth and development.

Some of the initiatives that MWW Group has implemented are:

• MWW Green: MWW Group focuses on environmental responsibility and drives towards being carbon neutral. MWW Group has been CarbonFree through its partnership with Carbonfund.org for three years running, and is ISO 14001 certified.
• MWW University: MWW Group’s formal learning and development program, offering professional development programming to employees at all levels.
• No Drive Workdays: This environmental program enables employees to work from home two days each month and save money while minimizing their carbon footprint.
• Employee-Driven Levels Meetings: MWW Group is committed to a more employee-centered company and instituted employee-driven “levels” meetings to discuss internal and external issues that employees deem relevant.  As a result, employee-driven policies are shaped.
• Relaxed Dress Code: MWW Group established a relaxed, casual, and informal  dress code to enable our employees to work comfortably.
• Summer Fridays: Each Friday from Memorial Day through Labor Day the company closes at 2 p.m.

About MWW Group

MWW Group is one of the nation’s top ten public relations agencies and is known for its results-driven approach to public relations and “Aim High… and Deliver” commitment to client service. For the past four years, MWW Group has been honored with the #1 ranking in the Holmes Report agency client satisfaction survey. MWW Group achieved top rankings in the categories of account leadership, strength of account team, creativity, strategy and planning, and program execution. In 2006, MWW Group was named PR Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report and Mid-size PR Firm of the Year by PR News, in recognition of the firm’s growth, strategic account leadership and industry-leading employee retention. MWW Group is part of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG). 

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