Blog: Homelessness Ends Here

On May 6th, the White House blog provided a brief description of the goals and objectives behind President Obama's proposed $50 million Social Innovation Fund. Reading the First Lady's description of the fund, it appears that the strategies of housing first and supportive housing are tailor made for this fund.

An article in the most recent issue of Health Affairs, a leading health policy journal, profiles the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation’s seventeen-year partnership with the Corporation for Supportive Housing to increase the supply of permanent supportive housing (PSH) in the United States.

According to an analysis from the Chronicle of Philanthropy, the Department of Housing and Urban Development would receive $7.4-billion in new federal spending in the 2010 budget the Obama administration released today. The department would receive nearly $48-billion next year, an increase of more than 18 percent.

Preble Street of Portland Maine has launched a new public service announcement featuring prominent Maine women discussing the possibilities of ending homelessness among women.

For those of us who work to help prevent and end homelessness, The Soloist is an all-too-real reminder of the daily obstacles people who are homeless and their advocates face. Sometimes the cracks in the system become gaping holes.

President Obama recognizes that far too many veterans are homeless and has promised to adopt a “zero tolerance” policy for homelessness among those who served their country.

Summaries of four important new evaluations released within the past week that demonstrate the benefits to our health network and other public systems when permanent affordable housing along with services are made available to vulnerable populations.

This is one of those urban fables that happens to be true. Steve Lopez is a newspaper columnist for the Los Angeles Times; Nathaniel Ayers is a troubled man with a brilliant past. They met by chance on the streets of downtown L.A. - an encounter that would change them both. The story of their friendship is a tale about madness, redemption, and the mysterious power of music.

For those interested in learning more about the challenges and solutions facing homeless and low-income veterans, The Urban Institute is hosting a Panel Discussion and Webcast on Tuesday, April 7, 2009.

There are plenty of organizations and advocates out there that could work with state energy offices to design funding mechanisms for energy retrofits at buildings owned and/or used by homeless organizations. All we need is a little creativity and a dedication to providing homes for the homeless in the most cost efficient, sustainable, and environmentally conscious way we can. It will be worth the effort.