December 19, 2022, Washington, D.C. – The National Alliance to End Homelessness today expressed its support for the newly-released U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. The Alliance believes that this plan aligns with the most important work that the federal government needs to do on homelessness in the coming years; and that it provides a template for work that states and localities, as well as the private and nonprofit sectors, should undertake.
USICH is the only federal agency with the sole mission of preventing and ending homelessness in America. It coordinates with 19 federal member agencies, state and local governments, and the private sector to create partnerships, use resources in the most efficient and effective ways, and implement evidence-based best practices.
“The federal government has a critically important role in shaping our nation’s response to homelessness. ALL IN: The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness is an ambitious, strategic, and accountable plan that demonstrates a responsible commitment to that role,” said Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “The 30 strategies and 180 actions contained within this plan reflect a deep, data-driven understanding of the challenges, opportunities, and pathways to achieving the bold mission to prevent and end homelessness in the nation.”
Oliva specifically praised the plan for its unprecedented commitment to racial equity.
“The homeless services sector is acutely aware of how racial discrimination in housing, employment, healthcare, and education have created severe racial disparities in who experiences homelessness,” Oliva said. “This plan clearly articulates the federal government’s role in addressing these injustices, and it furthers the Biden Administration’s commitment to policies that advance racial justice.”
In light of recently-announced increases in homelessness among specific populations, the Alliance also expressed encouragement about the plan’s emphasis on upstream prevention.
“Each day, homeless systems and frontline workers tirelessly do the life-saving work to serve and ultimately end people’s homelessness. Yet, each day the number of people forced into homelessness only increases,” said Steve Berg, Chief Policy Officer for the Alliance. “This plan places a new and urgent priority on aligning upstream systems to better prevent people from ever having to access homeless services in the first place.”
Moving forward, the Alliance expressed its readiness to support the plan and to collaborate with all parties to advance its priorities.
“To fully implement this plan, we will all need to be at the table. Federal agencies and Congress must work together to provide new resources, particularly for our nation’s desperately needed inventory of affordable housing,” Berg said. “The Alliance is looking forward to supporting this progress, using the federal plan as an inspiration and guide.”
About the National Alliance to End Homelessness
The National Alliance to End Homelessness is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization committed to preventing and ending homelessness in the United States. As a leading voice on the issue of homelessness, the Alliance analyzes policy and develops pragmatic, cost-effective solutions; works collaboratively with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to build state and local capacity; and provides data and research to policymakers and elected officials in order to inform policy debates and educate the public and opinion leaders nationwide.
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