Blog: Homelessness Ends Here

I had just returned from a business trip and saw a copy of the recent Boston Globe article about the lay-off of 100 case managers. This is just the tip of the iceberg as states all across the country seek to balance budgets in the face of severely restricted revenues. It is likely there will be many more direct care staff layoffs and cuts in other community services and supports affecting thousands of people with disabilities before the economic situation improves.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness, an implementing partner for Funders Together, has published the new edition of Homelessness Counts, documenting changes in homelessness populations from 2005 to 2007, looking more closely at changes at the state level and among subpopulations.

Interested in finding out which cities and regions around the country have completed Ten Year Plans to End Homelessness, or want to find your local plan? Drawing upon a previous collection put together by our colleagues at the National Alliance to End Homelessness, we have created the following interactive map of completed plans from around the country.

In early October HUD annouced $3.92 billion in community allocations for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). Foundations that are involved with their communities efforts to end homelessness are encouraged to pass the following information on to local developers and homeless service organizations.

Promote housing-based solutions, with access to appropriate services, that are integrated in to our communities as the primary investment for ending homelessness.

Initiate and engage in collaboration and strategic partnerships among funders, local policy makers, business leaders, and government, as well as advocacy, housing, and service providers.

Support effective prevention programs and strategies, such as effective discharge planning, employment training, substance abuse counseling, and family reunification efforts.

Raise awareness of homelessness and existing local ten year plans to end homelessness, while building public will for long-term strategies locally and nationally.

Encourage and support research, demonstration projects, and data collection to identify and confirm effective approaches for serving key segments of the homeless population.

Promote needed systems change, including increased coordination across government departments and agencies and efforts to transition providers from shelter-based to housing first models.