In late March 2020, Dennis Culhane, Ph.D., who is one of, if not the nation’s most trusted researcher into homelessness of individuals unaccompanied by children, issued a terrifying, and for many of us, a heartbreaking report. According to his research, homeless individuals who are unaccompanied by children are 2 to 2.5 times more likely to be infected with the COVID-19 virus than non-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?    

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.

Keepsakes are something kept, or to be kept in memory of the giver. I love keepsakes. The ones I treasure most are from my three sons and my grandchildren… hand-made cards, drawings, dried-out bits of flowers, weeds, and rocks picked up and brought to me by small hands and big smiles—and all the cards

If you're a librarian, this rose is for you. "Brenda" was waiting for me inside Cossitt Library, Memphis’ small but historic downtown library where she, and other homeless people often spend their days, knowing they'll be safe, accepted, and treated well, just the same as other patrons.

Last month found me at the National Alliance to End Homelessness Conference. The keynote was delivered with elegance, wisdom and heart by First Lady Michelle Obama. To sum it up, the conference was a rip-roaring success. Ending the cycle of homelessness is what I'm about and what my personal goal is

With thirty years of experience in working to break the cycle of homelessness, here I am, the newest blog on the block, plugging away at my first blog post. Why should anybody be interested in what I have to say about homelessness and the issues that create and perpetuate our national disgrace?