National homelessness non-profit Community Solutions tapped Riparian Studios to produce a film focused on the work they are doing locally to end homelessness. The film focuses on the local team working on the ground in Western Nevada County to tackle the issue of veteran homelessness, bringing the total number to “functional zero.” The program, called Built for Zero, has been used in several other counties across the country to use a data-driven approach to eliminating homelessness in participating communities.

“Joining Built for Zero was about understanding what the data was telling us,” says Nevada County Housing Resource Manager Brendan Phillips. “My fear had always been that data would start to dehumanize […] so that we could look at the numbers. I couldn’t say that that is further from the truth.”

The film was further boosted by the corporate sponsorship of Wayfair, an online furniture and decor retailer, who chose to promote the film across their own media channels, including their blog.

“As an organization passionate about the wellbeing of every member of our community, it was a privilege to be chosen for this work,” says Kit Kohler, Riparian Studios owner. “After meeting the team working on reaching Functional Zero in Nevada County, we have no doubt that they will deliver on this ambitious goal.”

Local organizations highlighted include Hospitality House and The County of Nevada.