The evidence is clear that homelessness is being driven by the nation's affordable housing crisis. The lack of affordable housing has a dual effect: it pushes more people into the homelessness system, while also making it more difficult to help people exit into housing.
Alliance President & CEO Nan Roman:
"The solution to homelessness is housing. And when the nation had an adequate supply of affordable housing, we didn't have a homelessness crisis. Today, the lack of affordable housing affects large cities and rural communities alike, putting more people at risk of becoming homeless each month. We cannot overstate the scope of this challenge, or the impact it has had on the nation."
Despite these challenges, the number of people experiencing homelessness declined in 31 states and the District of Columbia in 2018. Those working on the front lines of the homelessness system are actually getting more people back into housing every year. The increases of the past two years aren't because the homelessness system isn't effective; they are because more people are coming into the system than ever.
The fact that so many communities continue to reduce the number of homeless people is proof that with greater federal and local investments and a bigger commitment to affordable housing, the rest of the nation can do the same. |
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