Though a societal challenge, the experience of homelessness is local, varied, and complex. Solutions must be developed community by community, tailored to individual circumstances.
But essential financial resources and technical expertise exist within all levels of government, and across sectors. Addressing homelessness requires civic engagement
that recognizes no one level of government or one sector alone can be effective. It calls for an intergovernmental systems and cross sectoral approach that connects funding and services across traditional public, nonprofit, and private boundaries, with leaders working collaboratively over time.
In a 2024 study on how communities are handling the seemingly intractable problem of homelessness, three elements of success emerged: Strong leadership from civic and political figures acted as a catalyst for uniting communities, collaborative efforts engaged stakeholders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, and the development of networks helped integrate service delivery.
