Today's summit could not come at a better time. The problem of homelessness in our community is urgent. Today, about 2,000 people in Fairfax County are homeless on any given night. Though many of us tend to think the homeless population consists mostly of single men, this number includes more than 300 families with 700 children. Last winter, as local shelters filled up, more than 150 people were living on Fairfax County streets.

Freddie Mac and the Freddie Mac Foundation are proud to join with the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, the National Alliance to End Homelessness, Enterprise Community Partners, and many other local organizations and community leaders and advocates to address the problem of homelessness and identify solutions to end it.

Here at Freddie Mac, we take this issue very seriously. Most people think of Freddie Mac as a company that helps people working to afford a home and navigate the home buying process, but we are also a company committed to making housing affordable and ensuring that decent rental housing exists for families. We recognize that a strong community starts with strong families.

That's why we provide transitional housing opportunities and support organizations that serve our local homeless population. It's also why we host our annual Hoops for the Homeless event. This 3-on-3 basketball tournament, which is coming up in June, raises funds for a number of local nonprofits that provide services to children and families who are homeless, including two serving Fairfax county.

Today is an important first step toward eliminating homelessness in Fairfax County. We are here to begin developing a plan to end homelessness by 2015. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors set this goal in October. It is an ambitious one, but our community has with the compassion, commitment and resources to achieve it.

Freddie Mac's employees and management team are committed to working closely with the community to end the cycle of homelessness. Many of our 5,000 employees are Fairfax County residents who care deeply about helping their neighbors gain control of their circumstances and live in dignity.

Ending homelessness by 2015 will require all hard work and cooperation. It will also require some creative ideas and greater communication between all sectors of our community.

None of us can solve the problem of homelessness on our own. But by joining forces, we can make a powerful, positive impact in our community and make sure that families in crisis do not become homeless.

I hope this summit will be the beginning of an ongoing community dialogue. Freddie Mac and the Freddie Mac Foundation are proud to be a part of this conversation and we look forward to partnering with the community to end homelessness here in Fairfax County.