“The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.”

The following was written by Brother John Gill ofm, director of the Saint Francis Urban Center:

I participated in the National Conference on Ending Homelessness this summer in Washington, D.C. This is an annual event that policy makers, direct service providers, researchers and advocates for the homeless gather for three days to learn new ideas and strategies in preventing and ending homelessness. This year, 1,200 people from 46 different states were present at the conference.

There was much attention given to the federal resources made available in the Recovery Act for housing and supportive services. Also, the other major topics included workshops on family homelessness, chronic homelessness, youth and veterans. In addition, they gave several presentations on different models of permanent supportive housing as the primary solution to ending chronic homelessness.

For me, the highlight of the experience was the keynote address given by the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary, Shaun Donovan. Donovan said the federal government will not turn a deaf ear to those most in need. He brought light on veteran homelessness, chronic homelessness, the cost-efficient ways of reducing and preventing homelessness, and the relationship between health care and homelessness. In his address, he pointed to permanent supportive housing as one way to achieve major savings in our health care system.

In his concluding remarks, Secretary Donovan noted that “just as some say we can’t afford to reform our health care system, so too they claim we can’t afford to end homelessness... whether it’s reforming our health care system or preventing and ending homelessness, the fundamental question is the same: It’s not one of ability-- rather it’s a question of will.”