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| How the US is tackling homelessness – can Britain follow its lead? | How the US is tackling homelessness – can Britain follow its lead? |
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| There are times when homelessness can seem like the ultimate perennial problem, especially in the US where in many major cities people living visibly on the streets and in “tent cities” appear to be as inevitable as the sun rising. However, the plight of families without a permanent place to live has increasingly become a focal point for national policymakers and officials in a range of cities. | There are times when homelessness can seem like the ultimate perennial problem, especially in the US where in many major cities people living visibly on the streets and in “tent cities” appear to be as inevitable as the sun rising. However, the plight of families without a permanent place to live has increasingly become a focal point for national policymakers and officials in a range of cities. |
| As homelessness surges upwards in Britain, it’s interesting to watch as many American politicians are actively pushing initiatives to tackle the issue. And they’re not just talking a good game. Rather than cuts, money is actually being put on the table. One of the latest and most prominent examples came earlier this month when President Obama put in a request to Congress to raise over $10bn in the coming fiscal year budget specifically to help homeless families and children. The Homeless Assistance for Families proposal was widely welcomed as another sign that homelessness was being taken seriously at a federal level. | As homelessness surges upwards in Britain, it’s interesting to watch as many American politicians are actively pushing initiatives to tackle the issue. And they’re not just talking a good game. Rather than cuts, money is actually being put on the table. One of the latest and most prominent examples came earlier this month when President Obama put in a request to Congress to raise over $10bn in the coming fiscal year budget specifically to help homeless families and children. The Homeless Assistance for Families proposal was widely welcomed as another sign that homelessness was being taken seriously at a federal level. |
| As with anything the president tables it depends on whether Congress agrees to all or a proportion of the funds (and there hasn’t exactly been a cordial relationship between the Obama White House and Congress), but if legislators do accept the proposal what follows could be life-changing for tens of thousands of destitute families. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the proposal could be transformational if enacted over the next few years using interventions such as community rehousing projects that have been proven to work locally “but never adequately funded”. | As with anything the president tables it depends on whether Congress agrees to all or a proportion of the funds (and there hasn’t exactly been a cordial relationship between the Obama White House and Congress), but if legislators do accept the proposal what follows could be life-changing for tens of thousands of destitute families. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the proposal could be transformational if enacted over the next few years using interventions such as community rehousing projects that have been proven to work locally “but never adequately funded”. |
| With more than 64,000 families, including 130,000 children, homeless on any given night in January 2015 in the US, the Alliance argues that the extra funding couldn’t come a moment too soon and is a major step towards Obama’s goals to eliminate child and family homelessness by 2020. | With more than 64,000 families, including 130,000 children, homeless on any given night in January 2015 in the US, the Alliance argues that the extra funding couldn’t come a moment too soon and is a major step towards Obama’s goals to eliminate child and family homelessness by 2020. |
| Nan Roman, the Alliance chief executive, says that the proposal would “give communities exactly what they need to end homelessness for families with children once and for all”. Coming from someone who has worked in the sector for decades and who knows that implementing real change is far from easy it’s a significant comment. | Nan Roman, the Alliance chief executive, says that the proposal would “give communities exactly what they need to end homelessness for families with children once and for all”. Coming from someone who has worked in the sector for decades and who knows that implementing real change is far from easy it’s a significant comment. |
| What is especially interesting about the president’s proposal, Roman points out, is that the funds will be designated as “mandatory”, meaning the federal government would be responsible for allocating the money and the funding wouldn’t be subject to the vagaries of annual budget renegotiations. | What is especially interesting about the president’s proposal, Roman points out, is that the funds will be designated as “mandatory”, meaning the federal government would be responsible for allocating the money and the funding wouldn’t be subject to the vagaries of annual budget renegotiations. |
| This latest move comes on top of a reduction in overall homeless figures over the past few years nationally (down by 2.3% between 2013 and 2014 and by over 10% since 2010 largely but by no means entirely driven by significant investment in reducing the number of veterans on the streets). | This latest move comes on top of a reduction in overall homeless figures over the past few years nationally (down by 2.3% between 2013 and 2014 and by over 10% since 2010 largely but by no means entirely driven by significant investment in reducing the number of veterans on the streets). |
| It also coincides with renewed attempts at city and county levels to get to grips with homelessness. . And in Los Angeles, which has an enduring problem with homelessness, wide-ranging plans aimed at reducing the number of people living on the streets are being championed by lawmakers with $150m earmarked for homelessness strategies. As always, there are questions about how the money will be found within tight budgets but homelessness has clearly become a priority once again. | It also coincides with renewed attempts at city and county levels to get to grips with homelessness. . And in Los Angeles, which has an enduring problem with homelessness, wide-ranging plans aimed at reducing the number of people living on the streets are being championed by lawmakers with $150m earmarked for homelessness strategies. As always, there are questions about how the money will be found within tight budgets but homelessness has clearly become a priority once again. |
| Yet there are wider stumbling blocks to steering through improvements. As in the UK, low wages, a shortage of affordable housing and soaring rents in many parts of the US mean that even with some extra cash for rehousing, the prospect of a stable home with rental payments that are within the means of low-income families is still a huge challenge. That said, it’s telling that there is a reinvigorated ambition to drive down homelessness. The contrast between this and the ongoing and unnecessary cuts and welfare reforms in the UK contributing to homelessness really is stark. | Yet there are wider stumbling blocks to steering through improvements. As in the UK, low wages, a shortage of affordable housing and soaring rents in many parts of the US mean that even with some extra cash for rehousing, the prospect of a stable home with rental payments that are within the means of low-income families is still a huge challenge. That said, it’s telling that there is a reinvigorated ambition to drive down homelessness. The contrast between this and the ongoing and unnecessary cuts and welfare reforms in the UK contributing to homelessness really is stark. |
| It wasn’t that long ago when campaigners in the US could look to Britain as a place committed to investing resources in reducing homelessness and hold it up as evidence of what works. Not any more. | It wasn’t that long ago when campaigners in the US could look to Britain as a place committed to investing resources in reducing homelessness and hold it up as evidence of what works. Not any more. |