Blog

We’re so grateful for the chance to travel again and be with our colleagues in person. We were able to spend time in South America during the months of July and August, learning from and working with our Vanguard Program partners. Our key takeaways were: the core issues of homelessness are very similar all around […]

The Ruff Institute of Global Homelessness at DePaul University (IGH) works with partners around the world to drive a global movement to define, enumerate, and end homelessness. On April 27, 2022, the IGH team took part in the United Nations Human Settlements Program’s Special Event on Affordable Housing and Ending Homelessness at the UN Headquarters in New York City. 

IGH Community of Impact Reese Hagy and Julia Wagner 10 March 2022 Centering the Voices of Experts by Experience Our most recent event for the IGH Community of Impact Webinar Series highlighted the importance of partnering with people of lived experience. We were honored to have such impactful and powerful speakers and moderators for the […]

IGH Community of Impact Webinar Series Reese Hagy 23 November 2021 Introducing the International Journal on Homelessness The most recent installment of the IGH Community of Impact Webinar Series celebrated the launch of the International Journal of Homelessness (IJOH), the first issue of which was published earlier this month. The IJOH is supported by the […]

IGH Community of Impact Webinar Series Reese Hagy 29 July 2021 Housing First is a model of homelessness intervention that is targeted towards people experiencing chronic homelessness. As opposed to ‘staircase’ models that generally require program participants to meet certain requirements before attaining standard housing, the Housing First model is a housing-led intervention that addresses […]

IGH Community of Impact Webinar Series Reese Hagy 25 March 2021 How do communities work upstream to prevent homelessness? How does data and evidence inform targeted prevention strategies? In our recent Community of Impact Webinar, we investigated these questions by featuring homeless prevention experts and strategies from around the globe. Homelessness prevention works to address […]

World Homeless Day (WHD) is observed on the 10th of October each year to increase awareness of the needs of people experiencing homelessness and opportunities for communities to get involved in responding to homelessness. WHD emerged from online discussions between people working to respond to homelessness from various parts of the world. The international awareness […]

IGH launched our Community of Impact (CoI) to connect leaders and practitioners to a collaborative and dynamic global network of knowledge of what works in ending homelessness. COVID-19 has represented an enormous challenge as the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations especially people experiencing homelessness. In our first Community of Impact Webinar, […]

Last month, IGH joined 30,000 participants from 167 countries in Quito, Ecuador for the third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III). Homelessness and the New Urban Agenda Following four days of workshops, high-level consultations and a village of interactive exhibits, United Nations member states formally adopted the New Urban Agenda. The [...]

Nairobi, Bratislava, Chennai, Hamilton, Waterloo, Santiago, Budapest, Brno, Tshwane. These cities have different foods, different customs, different styles of dress. They believe, sometimes, in different religions. Their governments are bound by different constitutions. But the IGH Leadership Program cohort from each of these cities agreed on one thing: the street is not a place to [...]

The IGH Leadership Program cohort is building paper airplanes. Fourteen leaders in the homelessness sector from eight countries have split into three teams and they're arguing over aerodynamics. Paper planes seem so simple, don't they? Take one sheet of paper, fold a few times, and voilà: flight. But anyone who has ever taken aim at the sky knows that takeoff [...]

Amazon Donates $8M to Housing and Homelessness Nonprofits Amazon, a multinational technology company that focuses on e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming and artificial intelligence, and the world's largest online retailer, is donating $8 million to select housing and homelessness nonprofit organizations in its headquarter regions. Plymouth Housing will receive $5 million to be allocated to permanent, [...]

At the Intersections: LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness Homelessness is one of the most pressing issues facing a disproportionate number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) youth in the United States today. Figures show that LGBTQ youth and young adults are 120% more likely to experience homelessness than their straight and cisgender peers. This second [...]

Five Factors Underpin Good Homelessness Service Implementation The Centre for Homelessness Impact added new content to their Intervention Tool that can be used by homelessness, practitioners and policymakers to raise implementation standards. Dr. Jenny Wood outlines five crucial factors that emerged across all interventions. Suitable and affordable accommodation is necessary to ensure stability after experiencing [...]

The World's Big Sleep Out On Saturday, December 7, 2019, the world’s largest display of solidarity and support of street homelessness and displacement will take place. The World's Big Sleep Out is an initiative that aims to raise awareness and funds towards global efforts to end rough sleeping. 50,000 people, including Will Smith and Dame [...]

Kerala, India Offers Housing to Tackle Homelessness The state of Kerala is offering free housing to people experiencing homelessness. Executive Director of Housing and Land Rights Network, Shivani Chaudhry, says that with this housing plan, the Indian government can shift the focus of its efforts from temporary accommodation to permanent housing. About 145 families have [...]

Supporting People Experiencing Homelessness: Migrating Across EU States Policy Officer for The European Federation of National Organisations working with the Homeless (FEANTSA), Mauro Striano, discusses how charities throughout Europe are leading the way in delivering rights-based, front line services to EU citizens experiencing homelessness. There is an increasing number of EU citizens who have moved [...]

UCSF Analyzes Homelessness Among Seniors in America In a study that discusses the current safety net for low-income seniors in America, researchers found that just less than half of people over 50 years old experiencing homelessness began living on the streets after turning 50. The study’s findings highlights growing post-retirement financial strain, said University of [...]

The United Nations Working Group to End Homelessness The United Nations NGO Working Group to End Homelessness (WGEH), IGH, and the International Coalition to End Homelessness propose a renewed focus on measuring and ending street homelessness worldwide. WGEH convened last month to present U.N. members with information that would support their proposal – to consider [...]

La Casa Norte Opens Facility in Chicago for People Experiencing Homelessness La Casa Norte, an organization serving families and youth experiencing homelessness in Chicago, USA, opened a new, state-of-the-art facility in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood. The facility features supportive housing units for youth and families, a youth drop-in center, a healthcare center, a nutrition center, [...]

The 2019 National Conference on Ending Homelessness The Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH) will host their National Conference on Ending Homelessness on November 4-6, 2019 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The conference program will cover a range of topics in homelessness, designed to support and accelerate the end of homelessness in Canada by equipping participants [...]

As the 2018 IGH Leadership Program approached, I imagined what it would be like. I anticipated meeting the cohort, who traveled from all over the world, and learning about their endeavors in homelessness. I looked forward to meeting the leaders in homelessness who would be presenting ideas and sharing insight throughout the week. I began [...]

Student Homelessness Project in Tacoma, Washington As a joint effort between the Tacoma Housing Authority (THA), local real estate developers, and The University of Washington Tacoma's (UWY) Associated Students (ASUWT), new housing units across UWY will be allocated to students experiencing or at risk of homelessness. THA also pledged to fund 1 million dollars toward [...]

Street Homelessness in Cape Town, SA A panel of municipal officials and local nonprofit leaders convened to discuss homelessness throughout Alaska. According to Kristen Swann of Alaska Public Media, the group stressed that homelessness impacts Alaskans of all ages, in urban and rural areas alike. Among the group was Bryan Butcher, CEO of the Alaska [...]

A Way Home Europe The efforts of A Way Home Canada have inspired communities, states and other countries to join their international movement for change in the homelessness sector. Europe has now joined the A Way Home (AWH) initiative. The continent will engage in shared learning about effective solutions in policy, practice and planning for [...]

Glasgow, Scotland announced on October 9th its position as the seventh official Vanguard City in the Institute of Global Homelessness's A Place to Call Home campaign. The Glasgow Homeless Network, in close collaboration with the city, is at the head of the effort in Glasgow. The City of Glasgow has pledged to work toward a [...]

Ira Mata, Ira Tangata: Auckland, New Zealand’s Homeless Count Over 700 people took to the streets of Auckland, New Zealand to conduct a point-in-time count of people experiencing homelessness. According to Toby Manhire of The Spin Off, volunteers spread from Pukekohe to Warkworth to collect information on the current state of street homelessness. Local homelessness [...]

Homeless Link: Homelessness Law, Practice, and the Homelessness Reduction Act Course Homeless Link will be holding knowledge courses on homelessness legislation and practice in the United Kingdom (UK). The next available classes will be held in Newcastle, UK on Tuesday, September 25, 2018, and in Manchester, UK on Wednesday, September 26, 2018 to help people [...]

FEANTSA's 13th European Research Conference on Homelessness In partnership with the Metropolitan Research Institute Budapest and Foundation Budapest, FEANTSA will host the 13th Annual European Research Conference on Homelessness in Budapest. This year, the Social and Economic Integration of Homeless People themed conference will explore evidence on levels of and opportunities for social and economic [...]

HUD Helps Fund Youth Homelessness Programs in the U.S. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) distributed grants to help fund a wide range of housing initiatives, including rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, and host homes in 11 communities across the U.S., through its Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program. In total, [...]

Centre for Homelessness Impact: Why reliable evidence matters The Centre for Homelessness Impact reflects on Evidence Week – an initiative led by Sense about Science and other agencies in the United Kingdom (UK). The initiative aims to explore the significance of evidence and data across a number of different fields of work and service and [...]

Missed Opportunities: Pregnant and Parenting Youth Experiencing Homelessness in America In this briefing, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago analyzes homelessness among youth who are pregnant or parenting. It is the third in Voices of Youth Count’s series of research-to-impact briefs on understanding and addressing youth homelessness. Voices of Youth Count is a national [...]

Canada’s New Homelessness Strategy According to the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, the government of Canada plans to make bold changes to the federal strategy to prevent and end homelessness. Through the Reaching Home strategy, Canada will reinforce its community-based approach to address homelessness – funding municipalities and local service [...]

Rijeka, Croatia announced on June 13th its position as the fifth official Vanguard City in the Institute of Global Homelessness's A Place to Call Home campaign. The effort in Rijeka is spearheaded by Head of the County Social Policy Department and Youth Dragica Marač and Director of Depaul Croatia and head of Rijeka's House of [...]

Last week, representatives from 13 cities gathered in Chicago for the first annual Vanguard Cities Summit, part of IGH's A Place to Call Home initiative. This select group of vanguard cities will be on the front line of the larger global movement, leading by example and demonstrating what's possible. Each city will commit to achieving [...]

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; [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Odense, Denmark Credits Housing First for Reduction in Homelessness Data from a recent survey shows that over the past two years, the number of people experiencing homelessness in Odense, Denmark, decreased from 173 to 113. Tommy Byrne of Dagbladet Holstebro states that of the 317 people who were housed between 2011 and 2017, over 92% [...]

Using Housing First in Integrated Homelessness Strategies In Using Housing First in Integrated Homelessness Strategies, Nicholas Pleace explores various aspects of the housing first model in the United Kingdom. The report assesses the evidence base for the housing first model and other homelessness services, considering effectiveness and cost-efficiency; analyzes the potential for integration of homelessness [...]

Depaul Ireland Extends Housing for Almost 600 People Evelyn Ring of the Irish Examiner reports on Depaul Ireland's efforts to more permanently house nearly 600 people experiencing homelessness. CEO of Depaul Ireland, Kerry Anthony, says that the organization wanted to take a different approach to tackling to homelessness, beyond emergency accommodation. Of the 593 people [...]

Follow #IGHhub | Subscribe to the IGH Hub newsletter | Submit to the library Roughly how many hours per week would you say you spend begging Google for information on housing programs? Looking for toolkits and policy briefs? Tracking down data from a homelessness count or finding voices of lived experience? When we put this question to individuals […]

“Internet Café Refugees” in Tokyo, Japan Sakura Murakami of the Japan Times explores the findings of a recent survey on homelessness conducted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The survey, conducted from November 2016 through January 2017, probed 502 24-hour internet and manga cafes in Tokyo and the customers that occupy them. According to the findings, [...]

This is the transcript of a speech delivered to the UN by IGH co-founder Mark McGreevy. To watch the video, click here. Thank you to the organizers for the invitation to speak at this event. Thanks also to the Vincentian Family of NGOs at the UN - representing a membership of two million people globally [...]

Homelessness in Hong Kong Wyman Ma and Chermaine Lee of Reuters discuss rising homelessness in Hong Kong. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the local government estimate over 1,000 people experiencing street homelessness, an increase compared to previous years. According to the article, the cost of living is being explored as a significant factor affecting this rise. [...]

Mental Health & Addictions Interventions for Youth Experiencing Homelessness: Practical Strategies for Front-line Providers According to the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, issues surrounding mental health and addition can increase young people's risk of experiencing chronic homelessness. Service systems and providers in many settings aren't adequately equipped and resourced to meet the needs of the youth [...]

Bridging the Gap Between Housing and Healthcare in the U.S. Politico explores a four-year effort to demonstrate how permanent housing can alleviate costly health care visits among people who had been chronically homeless in Houston, Texas. Allan Clifton shares his story of health improvements and reduced visits to emergency care after being permanently housed through [...]

Benefits of Expanding Housing Assistance Housing assistance plays a significant role in stabilizing low-income households and helping them progress. However, only one in five eligible renters receive the assistance they need. On the Urban Institute’s Urban Wire blog, Susan J. Popkin, Samantha Batko, and Corianne Scally suggest that proposed reductions in federal funding for public [...]

The New Centre for Homelessness Impact to Launch Spring 2018 The UK-based Centre for Homelessness Impact is off the ground! The Centre will be headed by Dr Lígia Teixeira, formerly Head of Research and Evaluation at Crisis. The Centre is taking on the task of assessing and utilizing research, a sometimes challenging task for policy-makers, [...]

Rising Street Homelessness in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil As stated in Al Jazeera, there are a reported 15,000 people living on the streets in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, more than triple the number in 2014. The article sites economic hardship leading to an influx of people experiencing homelessness, following the city's hosting of the Olympic [...]

A Rise in Homelessness Across the U.S. Pam Fessler of Southern California Public Radio explores a reported increase in homelessness across the United States this year. According to the 2017 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress released by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) this week, the number of people experiencing homelessness increased [...]

Practitioners and theologians are coming together in Rome, Italy to discuss global street homelessness in an event hosted by DePaul University's IGH, Depaul International, Niagara University, St John's University, and the University Durham's Centre for Catholic Studies. The event combines the expertise of a host of sources and speakers, all from vastly different backgrounds--some religious, [...]

Pilot Project Finding Permanent Housing for Veterans in Montreal The Old Brewery Mission, Quebec Veterans Foundation, and the Canadian government are collaborating on the Sentinels of the Street pilot project, intended to provide rent-subsidized, permanent, supportive housing to veterans experiencing homelessness in Montreal, Quebec. Jackie Dunham of CTV adds that supportive housing can be very [...]

The Don Dunstan Foundation released the following announcement this morning of their participation as a vanguard city in the Institute of Global Homelessness's A Place to Call Home campaign: The Adelaide CBD (Central Business District) will join a select group of Vanguard Cities on six continents to partner with the Institute of Global Homelessness (IGH) [...]

Homeless Link's Transatlantic Practice Exchange 2018 Leaders in the United Kingdom homelessness sector will be able to apply for Homeless Link's fourth Transatlantic Practice Exchange at the end of November 2017. The Exchange is an opportunity for senior support worker/junior manager-level staff to explore good practice in the United States. Topics proposed for the 2018 [...]

Homeward Trust Edmonton released the following announcement this morning of their participation as a vanguard city in the Institute of Global Homelessness's A Place to Call Home campaign: Edmonton - Homelessness is a global challenge, with an estimated 100 million people worldwide living without shelter. The Institute of Global Homelessness at DePaul University is launching [...]

Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week (HHA) is approaching! A series of educational, service, fundraising, and advocacy events, raising awareness of homelessness, will be held across the U.S. beginning Saturday, November 11 and ending Sunday, November 19. Each year, the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Student Campaign Against [...]

The State of Housing in the EU 2017 The Housing Europe Observatory, the research branch of Housing Europe, released The State of Housing in the EU 2017 this week. This year's flagship report includes detailed housing statistics for each European Union member state, the latest housing trends in a cross-country observation, and a compilation of [...]

Guadalajara, Mexico Sees Decline In Homelessness El Informador reports that Guadalajara, Mexico, has seen significant decline in homelessness since the last City Council point-in-time count in 2015. Rubén Arroyo Ramos, head of Centro de Atención Integral a Personas en Situación de Indigencia acknowledges that there are approximately 200 people experiencing homelessness throughout the city - [...]

Niagara, Canada Receives Funding for Supportive Housing The provincial government has provided over 5 million dollars in funding towards housing for at least 63 people experiencing homelessness in Niagara, Canada. St. Catherines Standard reports that through the Ministry of Housing’s Home for Good program, about 63 housing units are expected to be built. The program [...]

Crisis UK and Homeless Link Team Up With 'Older Age Homelessness' Prevention Session As part of Crisis' 50th anniversary, the organization is conducting a major consultation to gather evidence and opinions of UK residents and homelessness experts that will be used to inform policy change. The 'Older Age Homelessness' prevention session, delivered in collaboration with [...]

Thinking Inside the Box: Hong Kong's Next Effort to Solve Affordable Housing Shortage According to the South China Morning Post, a plan to convert freight containers into living units to increase housing for those experiencing various forms of homelessness is under consideration in Hong Kong, China. Freight container units have been used for housing in [...]

World Habitat Day 2017: Affordable Homes Through Housing Policy On Monday, October 2, 2017, World Habitat Day will carry the theme ‘Housing Policies: Affordable Homes’. The focus encourages all levels of government and relevant stakeholders to reflect on concrete initiatives to ensure adequate and affordable housing to drive the New Urban Agenda and the Sustainable [...]

How many people are experiencing homelessness worldwide? This is more difficult to answer than it sounds. There is no globally agreed definition of homelessness, and even within countries the topic can be contentious. At the same time, we knew we couldn’t measure and solve a problem we couldn’t define, so we made developing shared language [...]