As results from the 2018 Point-in Time Counts begin to emerge, we see a scattered portrait of homelessness in the United States. While many communities are making progress, homelessness continues to rise elsewhere.
Meanwhile, the housing affordability crisis looms large, as wages continue to fall far beneath housing costs. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, there is no county in the country where a full-time minimum-wage worker can afford fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment.
As communities nationwide seek solutions, the Alliance and other advocates continue to inform public policies and build public will:
- In May, Alliance President & CEO Nan Roman testified before the Housing and Insurance Subcommittee in Congress to call for continued Federal investment in programs that are proven to end homelessness.
- This year, the Opportunity Starts at Home Campaign brings together an unprecedentedly diverse coalition to build the political will to address housing affordability. In addition to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, partners include the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Children’s HealthWatch, Make Room, Catholic Charities USA, the Children’s Defense Fund, Community Catalyst, the Food Research & Action Center, the NAACP, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the National Association of Community Health Centers, the National Education Association, and UnidosUS.
- Last month, the Poor People’s Campaign, originally founded by Dr. Martin Luther King, re-launched to galvanize communities with a national call for moral revival—and set in motion grassroots action to reverse systemic inequities closely tied to homelessness and housing instability.
What you can do
Subscribe to the Opportunity Starts at Home podcast to learn how partner organizations are taking action.
Learn more about the Poor People’s Campaign.
Sign up to receive the Alliance’s Advocacy updates. Stay current on policies related to housing and homelessness, and the actions you can take to be part of the moment.