Homelessness continues to challenge our communities across the country. With the pandemic exacerbating the situation and the federal government predicting a sharp increase in people being evicted and becoming more vulnerable to substance abuse and physical abuse, a group gathered from around Texas to challenge one another to develop a solution that would rethink our traditional homeless shelters.
With a blank sheet of paper, over twenty years of experience, a diverse group of problem solvers that included economists, educators, business leaders, politicians, lawyers, students, architects, engineers, demographers and social workers, set out to develop a thesis for a new model—a model that focused on individuals and the responsibility of communities, a model that would not only help support those experiencing homelessness but also those on the verge.
The Solution – A Comprehensive, Scalable Vision
▪ A public/private framework that supports a new way to look at homelessness, upstream prevention, poverty, and racism in our communities
▪ A process of analysis and consensus building around a common vision
▪ Distributed and interconnected multi-service centers that meet the specific needs of each community
▪ A scalable and smart model
▪ A dependable and sustainable financial model