Solutions tailored to individual needs.

The Issue

Homelessness is caused by structural factors: lack of affordable housing, low-wage jobs, unemployment, and limited opportunities for education or training. Yet people experience it very differently. Some are pushed into shelters or onto the streets by domestic violence or home foreclosure. Others struggle with mental illness, substance use, or other disabilities.

Everyone who is homeless requires specific supports to return to community life. Yet services can be fragmented and complex. People in crisis may be unable to manage the intricacies of accessing emergency shelter, housing, healthcare, and other social services.

The Center for Social Innovation estimates that there are 300,000 people in the homeless services workforce. Their education, experience, credentials, and clinical expertise vary. These caregivers require basic knowledge of homelessness, trauma-informed care, evidence-based practices, and how to help people navigate the social service system.

Shaping the Solution

Single adults, families and children, youth, veterans, and elders have specific service needs. Some people may be able to exit homelessness relatively quickly with minimal supports. Others require a complex set of services to support their long-term housing stability. Research and evaluation are investigating the right mix of services and supports that will move each person out of homelessness for good.

In addition to better understanding homeless populations, we need to understand the size, scope, and needs of the homeless services workforce. This information is essential to developing competencies, providing accessible training opportunities, and increasing the capacity of the workforce to end homelessness. Knowledge and training about best practices should be widely available. New web-based communication and learning technologies offer effective ways to connect peers and rapidly share emerging knowledge.