Every May, the Administration for Community Living-ACL (part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) leads the nation’s observance of Older Americans Month. This year’s theme is Powered by Connection, which highlights the importance meaningful relationships and social connections have on our health and overall well-being. As we think about the health and well-being of our aging population, it is important to look closer at the numbers that illustrate this population’s vulnerabilities. At a Glance 55.8 million The number of Americans aged 65 or older in 2020. One-fourth of these ..read more

This blog post is the first in a series on Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) vouchers. The connection between foster care and homelessness is well known among those working in the field. For youth transitioning from care who had a prior episode of homelessness, a future episode of homelessness is just as likely as avoiding it. What seems less known is the ready availability of dedicated housing assistance to help these young adults avoid or escape homelessness. A 2019 report issued by Chapin Hall found that a history of foster care is common among young adults experiencing homelessness. Unfor ..read more

Written by Scott Chang, Senior Counsel, National Fair Housing Alliance and Saba Mwine-Chang, Managing Director, Homeless Policy Research Institute The Fair Housing Act is our nation’s primary fair housing law. On April 11, 1968, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, known as the federal Fair Housing Act. The law was passed seven days after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to honor Dr. King’s work to create fair or “open” housing in the U.S. The twin goals of the Fair Housing Act are to prohibit discrimination in housing, and to rep ..read more

Statement of Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness; Diane Yentel, CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition President; and Peggy Bailey, Vice President for Housing and Income Security of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Even in a divided country, we can agree that homelessness is terrible, especially in a country as rich as ours. We should also agree on the solutions that have been proven time and again to solve homelessness. On April 22, the solutions to homelessness will come into full view when the U.S. Supreme Court hears the most important case in d ..read more

The more I talk to people in the homeless services field around the country, the more convinced I am that we are all still trying to figure Coordinated Entry out. At this point, every community has some sort of system, point(s) of entry, written standards, governance structures—all the basics to comply with federal regulations and check off the boxes. But there is always room for homelessness systems to adapt and ensure that their resources are most fully and equitably meeting the needs of the people they serve. In this process, it helps to stay grounded in what effective Coordinated Entry can ..read more

The Supreme Court will soon be hearing the case of City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson, a rare instance of the Court grappling with the issue of homelessness. This is the most significant Supreme Court case about homelessness in decades. The immediate outcome is uncertain, but it will almost certainly impact how people think about homelessness – and how communities will respond. About the Case The narrow issue in the case is whether a local government can issue tickets, fines, arrests, or otherwise punish people for “camping” outside in public spaces – even when adequate indoor shelter and ..read more

The National Alliance to End Homelessness today extends its gratitude to Marcia L. Fudge, for her service as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Secretary Fudge took leadership during unprecedented challenges for the nation, including the economic disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, a severe affordable housing crisis, and rising levels of unsheltered homelessness. Under her strong leadership, Secretary Fudge worked on behalf of the Biden-Harris administration to make historic investments in affordable housing and homelessness. In 2022 alone, HUD’s House Am ..read more

Good afternoon everyone!  It is so wonderful to see you all here in San Francisco for the Alliance’s 2024 Innovations and Solutions to Ending Unsheltered Homelessness Conference. We are grateful to have you here on the West Coast with us this week. And we have a great few days in store for you – with a variety of sessions that cover a lot of topics you all have been asking for – from improving shelter to expanding affordable housing options, and lots of things in between. We also have some really great plenary speakers, including the Alliance staff you know and love, as well as Jemine Bry ..read more

Last Saturday, President Biden signed into law a bill providing funding for the rest of fiscal year 2024 for some federal agencies. These include the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. Bipartisan Efforts Yield Better Investments For people working on homelessness, the best news is an increase of $418 million for HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants account (including Continuum of Care, Emergency Solutions Grants, and several smaller items). This marks two years in a row of $400 million+ increases. This ..read more

The number of people enduring unsheltered homelessness rose in most communities across the country last year. Homelessness response systems are working diligently to rehouse people but they face an uphill climb due to increasing levels of inflow and inadequate resources to address the problem. In spring 2023, the federal government awarded 32 communities across the country with additional resources to address unsheltered homelessness. Before they began implementing their grants, the Alliance asked 24 representatives of the funded communities about the factors that had been preventing progress ..read more