Funders suggest ways to end homelessness

April 18, 2008

A group of funders working to end homelessness has developed a set of funding principles it hopes will accelerate the pace of change.

The Partnership to End Long Term Homelessness is encouraging funders working on homelessness to take a unified approach to speed the pace of changing policies that can affect the problem.

Funders are encouraged to:

• Invest primarily in housing-based solutions that are integrated into the surrounding community
• Build strategic partnerships between funders, policymakers, business leaders and government, as well as those who work directly with, or advocate for, the homeless
• Promote effective prevention programs, such as discharge planning, employment training, substance-abuse counseling and family reunification
• Raise awareness and build public will for long-term strategies to fight homelessness
• Support empirical approaches such as research, demonstration projects and data collection
• Advocate for system changes, such as increased coordination across government departments and agencies
• Leverage national policy and financial support

On its website, the group is seeking feedback on the principles.

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