Legislative Updates 
For Congressional Staff
Over the past 20 years, researchers and innovative leaders in the public, private and nonprofit sectors have developed new tools for preventing and ending homelessness. These strategies improve the lives of homeless people while reducing the costs to public systems, including schools, foster care, law enforcement, emergency rooms, and hospitals. The emerging consensus is that ending homelessness is both achievable and cost effective. Hundreds of cities are developing detailed plans to employ these strategies to reduce or end homelessness, and many are already demonstrating progress. Research and data shows the following:
Ending homelessness is cost effective.
Rigorous studies have shown that providing permanent supportive housing dramatically reduces use of expensive emergency care such as emergency room visits, shelters, and substance abuse detox, while also reducing the need for law enforcement, jails, and prisons. Read More...
Communities are showing progress in ending homelessness.
Hundreds of cities and counties are developing strategies to end homelessness, and many of them are already making dramatic progress. Read More...
To assist policymakers in developing strategies to prevent and end homelessness, the National Alliance to End Homelessness offers a number of resources on topics related to ending homelessness.
Families
Youth
Chronic Homelessness
Veterans
Reentry
Rural Homelessness
Domestic Violence
Mental Health and Physical Health
Written Testimony to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health andces, and Education Human Services, and Education
Written testimony to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Concerning Programs in the United States Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. March 31, 2008
Analysis of Homeless Definition Changes
This analysis shows that the Community Partnership to End Homelessness Act (S. 1518) allows communities to serve people who are doubled up or in precarious situations without the dangerous consequences of a dramatically expanded definition.
Community Partnership to End Homelessness Act of 2007
This document summarizes the significant features of the Act, describing how homeless assistance would differ from existing practice, and how homeless people, providers, and communities would be affected. The summary is followed by a more detailed description of the bill’s features.
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This audio conference covered the HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program.
This video highlights how communities across the country are decreasing homelessness among families. Thanks to the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, it’s yours to use for free. 