Featured Article-Ending Homelessness in Our Time: Why Smart Government Is Key
By Shaun Donovan
Shaun Donovan is U.S. Secretary for Housing and Urban Development. He is committed to make quality housing possible for every American. He previously was commissioner of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, where he created and implemented the largest affordable municipal housing plan in the nation. He also worked with foundations and banks to finance affordable housing. At New York University, he wrote about the preservation of federally assisted housing.
In his article, “Ending Homelessness in Our Time: Why Smart Government Is Key,” Shaun Donovan provides a road map for solving homelessness in America. Donovan outlines six steps that are necessary to achieve this goal:
- doing what works
- permanent supportive housing
- homeless prevention and rapid re-housing
- using existing resources more effectively
- focusing on a clear set of measurable results
- coordinating across partners.
Excerpt Taken Directly From “Ending Homelessness in Our Time: Why Smart Government Is Key”
“As we finish the first year of the Obama administration’s effort to end homelessness under the Opening Doors strategic plan, there is much work left to be done. But already we are beginning to see results—even in the midst of the most difficult economy in decades—as we work to end homelessness among families and children by 2020, end chronic and veteran homelessness by 2015, and put ourselves on a path to end all types of homelessness.
“In this age of budget deficits, some say we can’t afford to be that ambitious, but I believe we can’t afford not to. Whether it’s Utah ending homelessness for 7-in-10 of the hardest-to-house members of the population or HUD-VASH beating its goal of housing homeless veterans by nearly 50 percent, these efforts demonstrate that the real issue isn’t big or small government, but smart government. “
