News Magazine of the UW Department of Communication
By Julian Martin, UW
Although the idea behind ten-year plans to end homelessness was first initiated by the Interagency Council on Homelessness, it did not originate from the federal program. Instead the approach was designed mainly by a nonpartisan organization, The National Alliance to End Homelessness.
The advocacy group released the innovative design for combating homelessness, A Plan, Not a Dream: How to End Homelessness in Ten Years, eight years ago, and has continued to be an integral part of the effort to end chronic homelessness nationally ever since.
“The strategy is based on two things; strong local elected leaders and a ‘housing first’ plan,” said Paul Carlson, Regional Interagency Homeless Coordinator.
By focusing on finding immediate housing with services for the chronically homeless, the plan is designed to, “change the dynamic of homelessness”, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness Web site.
“One of the idealistic concepts around housing first is that you can walk a street corner and place individuals directly into supportive housing, without making them jump through any hoops,” said Tara Connor, Policy Director for the nonprofit housing provider Plymouth Housing Group.
