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CAEH’s National Conference; Real-time Data in Ending Homelessness; and More

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CAEH National Conference on Ending Homelessness

The Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH) invites policy makers, funders, researchers, advocates, community leaders and front line workers to the National Conference on Ending Homelessness on November 5, 6, and 7, 2018. The conference will be organized into six streams of focus: Leadership, Planning and Practice; Indigenous Homelessness; Women’s Homelessness; Housing First; A Way Home – Youth Homelessness; and Canadian Observatory on Homelessness – Research and Policy. Through this conference, CAEH aims to provide participants with the inspiration, information, tools and training they need to end homelessness.

Register here.

Human Trafficking Prevalence and Child Welfare Risk Factors Among Homeless Youth

As part of Covenant House International’s initiative to research human trafficking among youth experiencing homelessness, The Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice & Research collected data from 270 youth across three U.S. cities – Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Washington D.C. Of those interviewed, 20% reported being victims of human trafficking. The Center found that several populations, including transgender youth, appear to be particularly vulnerable to the crime. The study includes recommendations for improving research, policy, and practice. They suggest conducting longitudinal work; incorporating administrative data and standardized measures of health and well-being; utilizing such data to identify populations at highest risk; and supporting funding for programming for youth experiencing homelessness at state and federal levels.

Read the report on the IGH Hub.

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Supporting Citizenship Among People with Mental Illness or Experiencing Homelessness

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According to Abe Oudshoorn of Western University, research conducted by Allison Ponce and Michael Rowe shows that active promotion of citizenship is an important aspect of responding to people with mental illness and/or who are experiencing homelessness. Some ways that Oudshoorn suggests the homelessness service sector can support citizenship include: engaging those who have or are experiencing homelessness into councils, committees, etc.; educating the community about mental health and homelessness through the voices of those with lived experience; supporting those who are newly independent in the community to identify an explicit community based task; and more.

Oudshoorn concludes by reinforcing the idea that “citizenship is not just for those who have reached some pre-determined or culturally conceived level of stability, but is for all people”.

Read the blog post here.

Real-time Data in Ending Homelessness

“We can’t gather the necessary information to house our homeless neighbors solely by counting them anonymously once every two years”, said the Canadian Alliance on Ending Homelessness (CAEH).

In a recent blog post, the Alliance discusses the significance in actionable, real-time, person-specific data within the homelessness service sector. According to CAEH, this kind of data helps communities house people, in the most strategic and effective way. This means finding and prioritizing those in greatest need first and matching each person’s unique needs in a timely manner. In the process, data is maintained as a real-time By-Name List, which is categorized by three inflow measures and two outflow measures. CAEH also suggests that having the most sufficient data collection can help service providers confidently advocate for other necessary resources to reduce or end homelessness.

Read the blog post here.

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If there is news you would like to include in a future update, contact us here: http://www.ighomelessness.org/contact

FEANTSA’s 2018 Policy Conference; Homelessness Among Transgender-People in South Africa; and More

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2018 FEANTSA Policy Conference: Future Challenges for the Homeless Sector in Europe

The European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA)’s 2018 Policy Conference will be held on June 15, 2018 in Berlin, Germany. A pre-conference program, featuring a series of site visits and opportunities to network on various topics, will take place on June 14, 2018. The keynote address by Professor Eoin O’Sullivan will be followed by a panel on the theme of this year’s convening – Future Challenges for the Homeless Sector in Europe. Topics will include transitional housing, street homelessness outreach, healthcare for people experiencing homelessness, and more. The deadline to register is May 31, 2018.

Register here.

USC and United Way L.A. Form Research Institute on Homelessness

The University of Southern California’s (USC) Price Center for Social Innovation and the United Way of Greater Los Angeles Home for Good Initiative have announced the creation of a collaborative Homelessness Policy Research Institute. According to Gary Painter, director of the Health Policy Research Institute and USC Price Center for Social Innovation, the region’s top scholars, with expertise in housing and real estate, economics, behavioral and primary healthcare, social services and social network theory, will embody the Institute. Through research, they will aim to directly inform policymaking at all levels of government.

The L.A. County saw a 23% increase in homelessness in 2017 – reaching over 58,000 people. “The urgent need to reduce the number of individuals experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County requires a new model of collaboration between researchers and policymakers,” said Painter.

Read the article here.

Challenges among Transgender People Experiencing Homelessness in South Africa

Carl Collison of Mail & Guardian shares the story of Siya Hlongwa – a 32-year-old transgender woman experiencing street homelessness in Johannesburg, South Africa (S.A.). Like Siya, many transgender women and men in S.A. are forced to flee their homes due to rejection, sometimes accompanied by the threat of violence, from their families, then struggle to find stable accommodation due to discrimination. In Siya’s case, she found temporary housing in a shelter for women and children of domestic violence, but was forced to leave once the shelter learned of her gender identity. According to Joshua Sehoole of Iranti – an organization that advocates for transgender and intersex rights – there are a multitude of factors that make transgender women and men vulnerable to homelessness, such as the lack of trans-friendly accommodation. Agencies and facilities like Iranti and Ithemba Lam safe house in Thambo Village township are working to help transgender-women and men in S.A. and hope to expand their capacity to offer a safe space to a greater number of people.

Read the article here.

Extreme Poverty Among Senior Women in Hong Kong

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Matthew Keegan of The Guardian explores the growing issue of extreme poverty among older-aged women in Hong Kong. “I ended up homeless because I didn’t have enough money to pay the rent. Even a sub-divided flat costs around HK$4,000 per month and I didn’t have the money for that,” said 65-year-old Miss Wong, who is one of a reported 1,000 senior citizen women nicknamed “cardboard grannies” because they collect and sell discarded boxes and other scrap to earn a living.

The city has the longest life expectancy in the world, according to researchers of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. However, aside from a small Old Age Living Allowance, the government struggles to provide adequate financial support to the reported 478,400 seniors living in poverty. Agencies are advocating for a universal pension that would be offered to the elderly, regardless of their income, to reduce and prevent homelessness and financial strain among Hong Kong’s older-aged population.

Read the article here.

If there is news you would like to include in a future update, contact us here: http://www.ighomelessness.org/contact

Auckland, New Zealand Provides Permanent Housing; Bogotá, Colombia Shares Data on Local Street Homelessness, and More

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Program to Help People Transition into Permanent Housing in Auckland, New Zealand

A two-year pilot study has secured permanent housing for nearly 40 individuals experiencing chronic street homelessness in Auckland, New Zealand. Moira Lawler, CEO of Lifewise, explained that the program aimed at placing individuals into permanent housing first, then providing the necessary support to address their co-occurring issues. The organizations behind the program hope to end homelessness for about 472 individuals living on the streets of Auckland.

“Many of our rough sleepers experience mental health issues, substance use and physical health challenges. To focus on recovery and self-sufficiency within a safe environment is a crucial first step,” said Lawler.

Read the article here.

The National Symposium on Solutions to End Youth Homelessness

In collaboration with the New York University’s McSilver Institute for Poverty and Research, Point Source Youth will be hosting their second annual National Symposium on Solutions to End Youth Homelessness on April 30 and May 1, 2018. Featured panel discussions include: Rapid Rehousing for Youth, Intersections of Health, Structural Barriers to Ending the Youth Homelessness Crisis, and more. There is expected to be over 120 speakers from the U.S. and Canada, such as the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, the Center for Social Innovation, and the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

Register here.

Street Homelessness in Bogotá

According to the Seventh Census for Street Homelessness conducted by the city’s District Department of Social Integration (SDIS), about 9,538 people are experiencing street homelessness in Bogotá, Colombia. Martyrs, Santa Fe, and Kennedy were the areas reported to have the most people living on the street. Figures show that nearly 9,000 of the population utilized support services, provided by the SDIS, at some point in 2017. Bogotá predicts that a budget increase with allow for expansion of homelessness prevention measures.

Read the article here.

USICH: Housing First Must Underpin Our Work System-wide

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Policy Director at the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), Lindsay Knotts, reflects on the 2018 Housing First Partners Conference, hosted by the Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) and the Pathways Housing First Institute. According to Knotts, rather than debate the merits of housing first strategies to ending homelessness, people with lived experiences of homelessness, peers, service providers, researchers, advocates, experts, and federal and state partners, focused on gaining a better understanding of the approach and learning how to strengthen implementation. She highlighted a few key messages from the conference that examined benefits of housing first as a cost-efficient system orientation, response, and solution to homelessness.

Read the blog here.

If there is news you would like to include in a future update, contact us here: http://www.ighomelessness.org/contact

Typology of Homelessness Prevention; Domestic Abuse and Housing; and More

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Homeless Link’s Transatlantic Practice Exchange 2018

The Transatlantic Practice Exchange 2018, a partnership between Homeless Link in the United Kingdom (U.K.) and the National Alliance to End Homelessness in the United States (U.S.), features a group of front line staff from the U.S.) and U.K.) homelessness sector. This year, co-production and performing arts are particular areas of focus. Some topics from the U.K. include responding to long-term street homelessness; peer support and community involvement in rural homelessness settings; and using theatre to involve people with lived experience. U.S. participants will explore coordination and multi-agency working for better outcomes in criminal justice; the impact of engaging people experiencing homelessness in the performing arts; and more. Read more on the Homeless Link website, linked below, and stay updated on the Exchange using #homelesslearning.

Read the article here.

A Typology for Homelessness Prevention

On the Canadian Homeless Hub blog, Riana Fisher discusses the typology of homelessness prevention, consisting of five categories aimed at organizing various activities necessary to prevent homelessness. It addresses the legislation, policies, funding, collaborative practices, service delivery, and interventions vital to prevention. Structural prevention reduces systemic factors that contribute to housing instability and social exclusion – focusing on the population at various levels. Systems prevention focuses on the role of public systems, which can be broken down into three components: fixing policy and procedural barriers; enhancing access to public systems, services, and appropriate supports; and reintegration supports. Early prevention consist of policies, practices, and strategies targeted at individuals and families at great risk of, or who have just entered homelessness. Evictions prevention, aimed at protecting those at risk of eviction, begins with landlords-tenant rights and responsibilities. Lastly, housing stability is a tertiary form of prevention that assists people who have experienced homelessness with achieving and maintaining stable housing.

Read the blog here.

The National Conference on Ending Homelessness and Capitol Hill Day

The United States National Alliance on Ending Homelessness expects to gather 2,000 attendees in Washington D.C at the National Conference on Ending Homelessness and Capitol Hill Day. The events will be held Monday, July 23 through Wednesday, July 25, 2018. Participants will have a chance to learn about and discuss topics such as housing programs and support services; system and practice strategies; and Rapid Re-housing. The events will also allow for networking with other attendees and meeting with members of congress and staff to discuss efforts toward ending homelessness. Early registration is now open!

Register here.

Domestic Abuse and Housing: Bringing Together Research and Practice

Dora Welker, postgraduate researcher at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland studying domestic abuse, poverty and homelessness, reflects on the Domestic Abuse and Housing: Bringing Together Research and Practice conference that addressed the relationship between domestic abuse relationships and access to housing. During the conference, convened by the Chartered Institute of Housing and the University of Essex’s Centre for Criminology, she learned the significance of access to suitable housing in facilitating a woman’s decision to leave a domestic-violent relationship. On Heriot-Watt’s I-SPHERE and Urban Institute blog, she discussed the emphasis placed on the role of landlords in supporting tenants seeking to compromise housing agreements in order to flee such relationships. Welker also shares lessons about incorporating housing in a coordinated community response to domestic violence, drawing on interviews with individuals within the housing service sector.

Read the blog here.

If there is news you would like to include in a future update, contact us here: http://www.ighomelessness.org/contact

Cisco and Destination: Home Join Efforts; Homelessness in Austria; and More

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Cisco to Provide Destination: Home with Funding to Help End Homelessness in Santa Clara County

Destination: Home has announced that they will be partnering with Cisco – leader in internet technology and networking, to help end homelessness in Santa Clara County, California. Cisco will fund $50 million to leverage existing public resources over a five-year span. The county plans to build more housing for its most vulnerable residents, improve technology capacity throughout the homelessness services sector, and invest in sound, evidence-based practices to help individuals and families in need of support and stability. There are approximately 7,400 people experiencing homelessness across Santa Clara. Destination: Home says that this partnership with Cisco represents a unique opportunity for the community.
“We can put an end to homelessness in Santa Clara County and there is no better partner in this work than Destination: Home”, said Cisco’s Chairman and CEO, Chuck Robbins.

Read the press release here.

Financial Homelessness Prevention

Financial strain often plays a significant role in one’s pathway to homelessness. On the Homeless Hub blog, Abe Oudshoor explores financial support as a primary mode of preventing homelessness. According to an analysis of data from the Homelessness Prevention Call Center, rather than offering an in-house support program, linking callers to funds from different programs and organizations led to a statistically significant reduction in one’s risk of entering emergency shelter at every month across a one-year span. In addition, the cost of homelessness prevention for one person was nearly half of the estimated cost to support someone experiencing homelessness. Overall, the study demonstrates the effectiveness of financial support for primary prevention of homelessness.

Read the blog here.

Homelessness in Austria: A seismograph for inequality

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In a recent interview, Managing Directors of Neunerhaus, Elisabeth Hammer and Daniela Unterholzner, discuss the state of homelessness across Austria. Over past years, homelessness has increased, especially among individuals 29 years old or younger. There is also a growing risk of homelessness among Austria’s middle class. Hammer and Unterholzner also discuss efforts in place to combat homelessness throughout the country, including Vienna.

Read the interview here. (The original text is in German)

If there is news you would like to include in a future update, contact us here: http://www.ighomelessness.org/contact

FEANTSA and Fondation Abbé Pierre Analyze Housing Exclusion in Europe; Professor Sarah Johnsen Gives Insight on Housing First; and More

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FEANTSA and Fondation Abbé Pierre’s Third Overview of Housing Exclusion in Europe

Since 2015, the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA) and the Fondation Abbé Pierre have collaborated to produce an annual report that examines the latest Eurostat data and other aspects of housing in Europe. The 2018 Overview of Housing Exclusion in Europe discusses the state of homelessness, particularly among children, women and migrants, including profiles on homelessness in certain European countries. According to the report, housing exclusion is still a fast-growing problem that leads to saturation of support systems, as well as increased pressure on emergency services. The organizations propose that the European Union strengthen their decision-making role in regards to coordination, follow-up and support of Member States in bringing about the right to housing for all to combat such growing issues.

Read the report here.

Why Does Housing First Work?

Professor Sarah Johnsen opens her discussion about the efficiency of Housing first by asking: “what is it about Housing First that fosters such positive housing (and other) outcomes for a group who has traditionally been poorly served by mainstream provision”?

First, she looks at research on the prevalence and nature of adverse childhood experience (ACE) among individuals experiencing homelessness, and how they tend to respond to support services. She suggests that many times, service providers assume that everyone can make use of support in a straightforward, anxiety-free, way; however, people can be quite phobic of it. Housing first is one of a number of approaches that function as a more personalized, psychologically-informed, method of addressing homelessness. Johnsen points to four key components that underpin the success of housing first: 1) the longevity of secure housing and support; 2) flexibility of support; 3) ‘stickability’, which allows for trust and receptivity; and 4) normality of the type of housing participants are matched with.

Read the blog here.

Breaking Barriers: Homelessness and Employment in Calagary, Canada

Nick Falvo of the Calgary Homeless Foundation draws several conclusions about the links between homelessness and employment in Calgary, a city in Alberta, Canada. Inadequate income assistance programs, major health challenges and a lack of subsidized child care all pose as barriers to employment for people experiencing homelessness. According to Stephen W. Hwang’s Homelessness and Health article, referenced in the blog, people without housing develop disabilities more commonly seen among people decades older than them, which can negatively affect their capacity to work. He also mentions employment-readiness programs throughout the city that can help combat the issues mentioned. These programs offer a range of services – interview skills, employment strategies, resume writing, financial literacy, and more.

Read the blog here.

Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, Keisha Lance Bottoms, has announced her participation in the Mayors and CEOs for U.S. Housing Investment – a first-of-its-kind alliance between local government and business leaders. The initiative currently consists of 16 mayors and CEOs from across the United States, advocating for federal investment in affordable housing and homelessness services. Since 2015, the city has seen a 34% decline in street homelessness and a 44% decline in chronic homelessness.

“With the assistance of our business community, local leaders can speak with a louder voice and discover innovative ways to improve the quality of life for the people we serve,” said Mayor Bottoms.

Read the article here.

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If there is news you would like to include in a future update, contact us here: http://www.ighomelessness.org/contact

Homeless Link’s 2017 Report; The Public Health Model of Homelessness Prevention; and Australia’s National Homelessness Conference 2018

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Homeless Link’s 2017 Report

Homeless Link’s Annual Review of Support for Single Homeless People provides insights into England’s homelessness sector. The report aims to provide a comprehensive picture. The range of activities and interventions that are offered throughout the country, from life skills training, financial advice to substance abuse services. Research shows that despite challenges with resources, services providers continue to respond to people’s needs as best they can. The report also reflects on long-term support provided to individuals, demographics of the populations receiving support, and more.

Read the report here.

Homelessness Prevention: The Public Health Model

Riana Fisher’s blog at the Homeless Hub begins with a quote from Peter Jacobson: “If we want to stop people dying on roads, we invest money in seatbelts, not in the emergency department. In the same way in regards to homelessness, why would we wait to intervene with a young person when they’re in crisis, when we can intervene early and keep them at home, and in school and engaged?”

The blog uses these questions as a jumping off point for a discussion of the Public Health Model of Homelessness Prevention. This model can be helpful in altering the way the service sector can respond to homelessness. Intervening before an individual or family loses housing requires collaborative efforts among several sectors and systems – healthcare, education, justice, etc. Fisher also outlines risk factors of homelessness and levels of prevention, as well as the populations they aim to serve.

Read the blog here.

The National Homelessness Conference 2018 in Australia

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Australia Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) and Homelessness Australia (HA) have partnered to hold the National Homelessness Conference 2018 — Ending Homelessness Together. It will be held Monday, August 6 through Tuesday, August 7, 2018 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. According to AHURI, this year’s convening will be significant, with the recent release of data from the 2016 census, conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and the development of a new National Housing and Homelessness Agreement. AHURI and HA aim to bring together policy makers and practitioners from across Australia to learn, engage and network together.

Register here.

If there is news you would like to include in a future update, contact us here: http://www.ighomelessness.org/contact

City of Tshwane Becomes Fourth Vanguard City to Join A Place to Call Home

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Tshwane released the following announcement this morning of their participation as a vanguard city in the Institute of Global Homelessness A Place to Call Home campaign:

The City of Tshwane is joining a global campaign to end street homelessness by 2030. Homelessness is a global challenge, with an estimated 100 million people worldwide living without shelter. The Institute of Global Homelessness at DePaul University, Chicago, is launching a campaign to help 150 cities work toward ending street homelessness by 2030.

The City of Tshwane has now committed itself to be among the first vanguard cities in a global movement to end homelessness.

On the 15th of March 2018 the City of Tshwane is announcing its commitment to join some 10 vanguard cities across all six continents, working with its local partners and the Institute of Global Homelessness toward “A Place to Call Home” for all who are currently living on the streets of our city.

“The City of Tshwane is leading by example and will help other cities around the world to take action to end street homelessness,” said Kat Johnson, director of the Institute of Global Homelessness.

The campaign, A Place to Call Home, will begin with a small group of vanguard cities across all six continents. Each city will commit to achieving a goal by the end of 2020: either an end to street homelessness, a reduction in street homelessness, or a goal specific to a population of people living on the street.

The Institute of Global Homelessness will help these cities as they set goals, strengthen or develop their data collection systems and identify areas of improvement. They will take those findings and share them with other cities, with the ultimate aim of reaching 150 cities who will end street homelessness by 2030. The City of Tshwane, with its key partners, has committed itself to implement a strategy to “advance the social, economic, spatial and political inclusion of street homeless people, thereby ensuring their enhanced and holistic freedoms” (State of the City Address by the Executive Mayor Solly Msimanga, 2016).

In recent years, a social contract was entered into by the City of Tshwane, in partnership with the Tshwane Homelessness Forum, the University of Pretoria and the University of South Africa. This contract gave effect to a collaborative research project, titled Pathways out of Homelessness, and a policy and strategy on street homelessness was prepared for adoption by the City.

“There is an emerging global movement to end homelessness, and A Place to Call Home helps cities and countries to work collaboratively to tackle the problem worldwide,” said Johnson.

Homelessness looks different everywhere, and agreeing on definitions of homelessness had slowed down these types of collaborations in the past, explained Johnson. In 2015, the Institute of Global Homelessness released a framework that defines different types of homelessness so that international collaborators can work from the same definition.

Homeless Hub Discusses Women and Youth Homelessness; a Recent Census in Bogotá, Colombia; and More

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Homeless Hub: The women left behind

On the Homeless Hub blog, Abe Oudshoorn of Western University discusses unique experiences and support needs of women and youth experiencing homelessness in Canada. Many times, women’s pathway to homelessness is unique to that of other groups. With this follows the need for unique support, such as safety measures from gender-based violence and support to address trauma surrounding child apprehension. One unique measure of support needed for mothers experiencing homelessness is assistance with reconnecting with their children. As for youth, according to A Way Home Canada and The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, nearly 60% have had contact with the child welfare system. Inadequate care within this system can increase their vulnerability to homelessness. Oudshoorn highlights the importance of the consideration of such needs within the homelessness service sector, in regards to both primary prevention and permanent solutions to homelessness.

Read the blog post here.

Declining Homelessness in Lexington, Kentucky

Christy Bollinger of WTVQ reports that homelessness in Lexington, Kentucky is the lowest it has been since 2005. Mayor Jim Gray thanks the great network of local agencies working in the homelessness service sector for the progress made, such as the Office of Homelessness Prevention and Intervention. Since 2014, the city has focused its efforts on more permanent solutions, realigning over $1 million in federal housing funds from transitional housing to permanent housing.

Mayor Gray: “We’ve still got work to do, but we’re making progress. Our work and investments are beginning to pay off.”

Read the article here.

Homelessness in Bogotá, Colombia

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Data from a census conducted in October and November of 2017, suggests that about 9,538 people were experiencing street homelessness in 19 locations across Bogota, Colombia. Mártires, Santa Fe, and Kennedy were there areas found to have the most people living on the streets. The El Espectador reporter states that in comparison to previous years, this number has not changed significantly.

“With the figures obtained, we will be able to focus our attention on this population, because we will know first hand what their needs are and we can act with greater efficiency and opportunity,” said Social Secretary, Cristina Vélez Valencia.

Read the article here. (This article’s original text is in Spanish)

If there is news you would like to include in a future update, contact us here: http://www.ighomelessness.org/contact

Greater Manchester Becomes Third Vanguard City with A Place to Call Home

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Greater Manchester Combined Authority released the following announcement this morning of their participation as a vanguard city in the Institute of Global Homelessness A Place to Call Home campaign:

Greater Manchester became one of a select few Vanguard Cities charged with leading the global effort to tackle rough sleeping and homelessness at an event yesterday (6 March) at Bishop’s Rooms in the city centre.

In January the city-region pledged new funding of at least £7 million covering the next three years as it intensifies efforts to tackle homelessness with the Mayor, Andy Burnham, pledging to eradicate rough sleeping in Manchester by 2020.

And now political leaders, representatives from the charitable sector and other key strategic partners have backed the Mayor as he signed up to The Institute of Global Homelessness (IGH)’s international drive to tackle homelessness across the world.

Greater Manchester joins Edmonton in Canada and Adelaide in Australia as Vanguard Cities that have committed to achieving a goal by the end of 2020: either an end to, or a reduction in, street homelessness.

Some 10 additional cities across six continents are expected announce their participation in the coming months.

The city-region will benefit from the IGH’s guidance and support, while working alongside the other Vanguard Cities to work together to tackle common challenges.

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Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “It’s tremendous to be named by the Institute of Global Homelessness as one of the world’s leading cities when it comes to taking innovative and ambitious steps to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.

“Make no mistake, the effort to tackle the humanitarian crisis that is our homelessness and rough sleeping epidemic is a key priority for me as Mayor.”

Dame Louise Casey, formerly Deputy Director of Shelter and Advisory Committee Chair at IGH, added: “I am really pleased that Mayor Andy Burnham and all the leaders across Greater Manchester, together with Manchester City Council, have committed to ending rough sleeping. Being part of the Vanguard Cities global campaign will show the rest of the country that we can and should take action to alleviate homelessness in the UK.”

Rt Revd Dr David Walker, Bishop of Manchester, chairs the Manchester Homelessness Partnership Board and said: “Homelessness is a huge scourge on our society, something that we cannot simply tolerate or ignore. I’m grateful to be part of the work we are doing together to eradicate it.”

Councillor Bernard Priest, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “Manchester is striving to be in the forefront of best practice in responding to this challenging issue. The council is working together with a wide range of public and voluntary sector partners to address homelessness, with a strong emphasis on prevention as well as providing wraparound support for anyone who does become homeless to help them move forwards.

“The insight of people who have themselves been homeless, and who are sharing their knowledge and experience with us, is key to this approach. That said, we recognize that this is a national and global issue and we are very much open to learning from the experiences of other cities as well as sharing our own.”

IGH will support Vanguard Cities with experts and leaders who have past success reducing and ending homelessness both in the UK and internationally – they will work intensively with the cities on an individual basis, including personal support visits.

In December the Mayor’s Homelessness Fund, an important part of Greater Manchester’s efforts to end rough sleeping, announced a running total of £135,000.

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To make a donation or find out more about the Mayor’s Homelessness Fund, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/GM-Mayoral-Fund

The Institute of Global Homelessness is a collaboration led by DePaul University in Chicago and Depaul International, which is based in the United Kingdom. The institute serves as a central hub where practitioners, policymakers and researchers can find the tools they need to end homelessness on a global scale. For more information, visit http://www.ighomelessness.org.