Providing Adequate Housing for All: Defining, Measuring, and Ending Unsheltered Homelessness

The people who face the most acute urban housing problem are those who have no housing or permanent shelter – those who experience unsheltered homelessness. While the scope of unsheltered homelessness is not fully known, its solutions are. They are shelter and housing for all. In this Networking Event, there will be discussion of an emerging framework and methodology for assessing the dimensions of unsheltered homelessness; and an action plan to end it. The Event will begin with a series of brief presentations describing: the work of an international research partnership on a global framework for measuring homelessness and unsheltered homelessness; efforts being undertaken by an international homelessness network to mobilize a campaign that will solve the problem; and experts and activists from across the globe who will describe their own work to monitor, measure and end unsheltered homelessness. A facilitated discussion among all event attendees will follow. Those attending the Event can expect to leave with an up-to-the-minute understanding of international and national action that is underway to measure and solve unsheltered homelessness. Further, they will have access to an emerging network of those working on the issue in countries like theirs, including researchers, activists, housing and service providers, and consumers. Finally, they will have the ability to share information and ideas, and if they wish to do more to help end unsheltered homelessness, to link to other like-minded colleagues. Unsheltered homelessness affects men and women, families with children, youth, the elderly, and people with disabilities. It occurs in nations – wealthy and poor – across the globe. It has severe negative impacts on individuals and on cities. It must be ended: and it can be with the provision of shelter and housing. At this Event, participants will learn and collaborate toward that goal.