The Huffington Post recently published an article titled “Why America Can’t Solve Homelessness.” It is a pretty typical piece of lazy journalism that blames the economy and apathetic government for increased homelessness. The article repeats the tired liberal saw that the economy is a fixed pie and when some people do well, other will do poorly. The Washington Post repeated this theme in its article “How…
It is very important to understand that the increase in homelessness and property crimes is happening by design, due to State of California’s legislative overreach that is handcuffing local cities. For nearly two decades I have been warning of the traps of symptom relief when it comes to dealing with the homeless issue. In fact, in 1999 we called ourselves Solutions for Change for this exact…
Solutions for Change is proud to announce the launch of our mobile app. The Solutions app is intended to engage our Solutions for Change community and provide real value for its users. What started off nearly twenty years ago in a small church, has become not only a transformational community helping almost a thousand parents and children every day but is influencing how we think and…
The second largest population of people experiencing homelessness is in Los Angeles. L.A. county hosts some 50,000 people living on the streets. in 2016, the City and County both passed tax increased to build more housing for the homeless. In addition to funding passed by the state of California, L.A. is swimming in money for the homeless. Despite billions of dollars of funding, L.A. is finding…
Solutions Institute provides education, advocacy, and replication and business development services. The Institute serves the public by creating relevant information about homelessness and homeless assistance public policy and advocates for the homeless, communities, and taxpayers regarding laws and regulations to address homelessness. The Institute also promotes the Solutions for Change transformational model community by community to replicate its impactful work. Sign up here for updates…
The Huffington Post recently published an article titled “Why America Can’t Solve Homelessness.” It is a pretty typical piece of lazy journalism that blames the economy and apathetic government for increased homelessness. The article repeats the tired liberal saw that the economy is a fixed pie and when some people do well, other will do poorly. The Washington Post repeated this theme in its article “How…
It is very important to understand that the increase in homelessness and property crimes is happening by design, due to State of California’s legislative overreach that is handcuffing local cities. For nearly two decades I have been warning of the traps of symptom relief when it comes to dealing with the homeless issue. In fact, in 1999 we called ourselves Solutions for Change for this exact…
The second largest population of people experiencing homelessness is in Los Angeles. L.A. county hosts some 50,000 people living on the streets. in 2016, the City and County both passed tax increased to build more housing for the homeless. In addition to funding passed by the state of California, L.A. is swimming in money for the homeless. Despite billions of dollars of funding, L.A. is finding…
Every year the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) submits an Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress. This report provides national estimates of homelessness based on two sources: Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and Point-in-Time (PIT) counts. This single annual report not only serves as a final report to Congress; it sets the standard homelessness policy that will govern the entire nation. Here…
Homelessness in New York Public Schools is at a record high of 114,659 students, that’s an estimated one in 10 students. The number of students in temporary housing has increased from 69,244 children in 2010 to 114,659 students. Often, when social problems increase, politicians and advocates stress the need for more money. The issue; however, is not a lack of resources, but a policy conflict regarding…
This November, California voters will have the opportunity to make a difference and ensure that California remains a place where working families can thrive and give back to their community. Homelessness and affordable housing are some of the biggest challenges facing California. In fact, affordable housing, homelessness, and crime are the top three issues on people’s minds right now according to recent polls. The following state-wide…
H.R. 1511, the Homeless Children and Youth Act (HCYA), passed the Financial Services Committee with a 39-18 vote on Tuesday, July 24. The passage allows the bill to be considered by the entire House of Representatives. Though this legislation still has to go through the House and Senate for votes, this is a big step in bipartisanship. In rare display, the vote shows that lawmakers can…
The public is starting to understand that the predominant federal strategy to end homelessness is failing. Providing every homeless person with a permanent home has not reduced the number of homelessness – particularly in places like New York, Seattle, and California – and is an expensive and unrealistic objective. In California, tent camps have increased the visibility of homelessness. San Francisco has built nearly 3,000 units…
The federal government’s “housing first,” approach has failed to end chronic homelessness today. In fact, their flawed economic logic may actually be sustaining chronic homelessness in the future. This downstream approach requires communities to maximize services for chronically homeless people, regardless of local circumstances, needs, and the potential to prevent chronic homelessness through other approaches. HUD needs to reexamine its policies, and realize that upstream approaches…
