Expert and relentless advocate for homeless people.

Okay. Okay.I was a skeptic. I didn’t believe that Housing First could work in Memphis, or any other city that didn’t have an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team. Why didn't I believe it?    

I believe that everyone who is really aware of homelessness and/or homeless people wants to see an end to homelessness. Nobody wants to end it more than those who've been "literally homeless," e.g. slept in shelters, on the streets, or other places "not meant for human habitation," and those who care about them. That includes those of us who have worked for years (or decades) to help homeless people break the cycle of

This a must read for people who wonder how well the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s focus on Housing First works—or not. When dozens of chronically homeless people with varying, untreated disabling conditions are placed in apartments with little or no supportive services, the outcome is, unfortunately, predictable and ultimately unsustainable, especially in cities with extremely high rental costs.

The holidays are coming and lots of people of good will be doing whatever they can do to help those who are homeless. Many, if not most, will be volunteering to serve food at shelters, churches and "soup kitchens." Most will feel better when they leave. Some, or many, may walk away wishing they could do more.