“All across the country a new partnership is being created. That partnership extends literally from the White House to the streets, moving through state houses, city halls, nonprofits to our poorest neighborhoods…we are no longer satisfied with managing the problem, maintaining the effort, or accommodating the response. We have a new standard…Abolishing Homelessnes”
--Philip Mangano, Executive Director, United States Interagency Council on Homelessness

Communities all across the nation are talking about 10-year plans to end homelessness. It’s the national buzz. Regardless of what you think about the concept of ending homelessness, it’s a huge step forward to see that the issue of homelessness is being talked about. Mayors are making homelessness a priority. The business community is getting involved. State agencies are participating. These unlikely partnerships won’t always be comfortable, but the fact that homelessness is on the agenda means more resources, more partnerships, and a greater chance of service providers achieving their goals.

Over the next year, Texas Homeless Network will explore this national movement, in detail. Cities and counties across Texas have begun to plan to end homelessness. Some ideas seem a bit radical, some are hard to swallow, but it’s possible that through an honest exploration of the issues around ending homelessness and the system of service that we work in, we may have some things to learn. The strangest idea of all seems to be the idea of working ourselves out of our jobs. If we ended homelessness in Texas—or in the nation, we would all be out of a job. Of course, ending homelessness is not as ambitious as ending poverty. There will still be much work to do.

In this issue of Homeless Network News, we present our readers with the original proposal for ending homelessness as outlined by the National Alliance to End Homelessness in Washington, D.C. There are many ideas to explore. Throughout the next year, we focus on different aspects of our homeless service system and explore some of the research, best practices, and new ideas around ending homelessness. As the experts out in the field, doing the work, we are interested in your feedback. Texas is one of the largest states in the nation, with a proportionate share of the national resources dedicated to services for the homeless. We have numerous model programs, yet we have lots of work to do. Please share with us. Let us know who is out there doing what. We have much local wisdom, and we suspect that Texas might have its own version of a plan to end homelessness…let’s see where it takes us!

The upcoming issue of Homeless Network News will focus on the following themes, with a focus on ideas toward ending homelessness:
January – Homelessness Prevention
February – Outreach / Supportive Services
March – Emergency Shelter
April – Transitional Housing
July – Permanent Supportive Housing
August – Permanent Affordable Housing

Feedback and comments may be submitted to newsletter@thn.org.