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National Conference on Ending Homelessness

July 29, 2009 thru Jul 31

Over the past nine years, communities across the country have waged a campaign against homelessness—a campaign that some communities have been winning. Their tools have been supportive housing, prevention, rapid re-housing, Housing First, data, outcomes, and cost effectiveness. By focusing on improving effectiveness, targeting interventions, and building public and political will for solutions, some cities and states turned the corner on homelessness. They reduced the number of homeless families, homeless people with disabilities, and homelessness overall. There was a real reason for hope.

The recession and housing crisis have changed everyones world. Some communities have already witnessed significant increases in homelessness, and the National Alliance to End Homelessness anticipates even greater increases in the future—if nothing is done. These increases will test our mettle. Surges in homelessness will especially challenge us to resist the mindset that all we can do is manage the problem and that the only possible response is limited to the band-aid approaches that will once again fail to solve the problem of homelessness.

The job before us is to respond to the crisis with the tools that we know work. While we face tremendous challenges, there will also be opportunities—federal funding, a new Administration, greater public concern, and lower housing costs are among them.

Join us in Washington, DC to work together to face this crisis with solutions. The movement to end homelessness must be strong enough to forge ahead through these trying times, and together we will be.