The fourth Homelessness and Housing First webinar – the last in a four-part series hosted by NLIHC, the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH), and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) – took place on September 28.
The webinar, “How to Address Unsheltered Homelessness,” began with opening remarks from Ann Oliva, CEO of NAEH. Debbie Thiele, managing director for the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) in the Western U.S., and Marcella Maguire, director for health systems integration at CSH, discussed addressing unsheltered homelessness as a public health issue and provided attendees with examples of how to better connect housing with services.
Jeff Olivet, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), provided an overview of USICH’s seven principles for addressing encampments.
Dr. Bambie Hayes-Brown, president and CEO of Georgia ACT, discussed emerging threats to Housing First in Georgia and explained how advocates have pushed back against harmful legislation. Attendees then heard from Marcella Middleton, executive director of A Way Home America, who overviewed how criminalizing homelessness harms youth experiencing homelessness and discussed A Way Home America’s New Deal to End Youth Homelessness.
Sarah Saadian, NLIHC senior vice president for public policy and field organizing, outlined opportunities for advocates to engage their members of Congress on the importance of Housing First and the need for robust investments in affordable housing and homelessness resources.
We have uploaded a recording of the call, as well as the presentation slides.
Take Action:
- Use a new advocacy toolkit published by NLIHC. The toolkit includes everything you’ll need to engage your elected officials, including talking points, tips for scheduling in-district meetings and tours of affordable housing developments, social media messages, and more.
- Sign a national letter to support the highest funding possible for affordable housing programs.
- Urge Congress to expand and reform the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit to better serve those with the greatest needs, including those experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Resources Discussed on the Webinar:
- Housing First resources (NLIHC)
- Housing First fact sheet and tools (NAEH)
- Advocacy Toolkit (NLIHC)
- Sign a national letter to support the highest funding possible for affordable housing programs.
- CSH Supportive Services Transformation Fund
- Apple Health and Homes Act – H.B. 1866
- USICH – 7 Principles for Addressing Encampments
- Docuseries – No Address
- A Way Home America – New Deal to End Youth Homelessness
Continue the Conversation:
Given the extraordinary interest in this webinar series, we will continue the conversation about Homelessness and Housing First in monthly webinars, starting in December!
Monday, December 12
Monday, January 9
Tuesday, February 21
Monday, March 20
Monday, April 17
Monday, May 15
Monday, June 12
Monday, July 10
ICYMI
Did you miss our previous webinars?
Here is a summary of our September 12 webinar, “Long-Term Solutions and Successful Strategies,” including links to the recording and presentation slides.
Check out a summary of our August 29 webinar “Homelessness is a Housing Problem,” including links to the recording and presentation slides.
Use this summary of the August 15 webinar on “Emerging Threats Facing People Experiencing Homelessness” to find links to the recording and presentation slides.
Decades of learning, experience, and research have proven that Housing First is the most effective approach for ending homelessness. Housing First recognizes that affordable and accessible homes are the foundation on which people thrive, and by combining housing with access to supportive services, Housing First can help people exit homelessness and live stably in their communities.
Urgent action is needed at all levels of government to end America’s housing and homelessness crisis. In communities across the nation, however, some misguided policymakers are responding to this crisis by advancing dangerous rhetoric and harmful, dehumanizing measures that will make it even harder for people to exit homelessness.
It is critical that advocates nationwide are unified in pushing back against stigmatizing and counterproductive efforts that seek to criminalize homelessness, impose punitive requirements, and even prevent the development of affordable housing. As our communities struggle with soaring inflation, skyrocketing rents, increased evictions, and, in many cases, more homelessness, it is more important than ever that advocates work together to advance the bold policies and anti-racist reforms needed to ensure stable, affordable, and accessible homes for all people experiencing and at risk of homelessness.