Community Solutions, Inc.

“It's like I can finally breathe again.” Patrick Martin, an Air Force veteran, found himself homeless after a series of devastating events. But through the collaborative efforts of @Community Solutions, support from the MacArthur Foundation and Kaiser Permanente, he secured stable housing — and a future. Read his story and learn how the #BuiltForZero movement is proving #HomelessnessIsSolvable: https://lnkd.in/dmfwkN4j

Built for Zero, a movement by 2021 #100andChange awardee Community Solutions, Inc., is helping make homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring—a concept called “functional zero.” Their movement aligns the efforts of agencies, local government units, and service providers to help accomplish the goal of ending homelessness in 75 U.S. communities in five years. Learn more about their strategy ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gCgB8j9i

Communities in the Built for Zero movement are proving #HomelessnessIsSolvable. See our solutions: https://bit.ly/3vgl0L4

Homelessness is not just a social issue but also a racial one. Data shows that Black and Native Americans are disproportionately impacted at every phase of homelessness. Why? This isn't by chance but a result of historical and ongoing racism. Join us as we delve into the data and work towards solutions that address these deep-rooted issues. #HomelessnessIsSolvable https://bit.ly/4e7yz08

🏡 The City of Rockford Illinois, reached functional zero for veteran and chronic populations. City of Peoria, Illinois, hopes to follow in their footsteps. Angie Walker, Homeless Program Manager for Rockford's Health and Human Services Department shares what worked for their city: "One of the keys for us was really making sure we knew who the people were that we were talking about that needed the assistance." #HomelessnessIsSolvable Learn more from WCBU, Peoria Public Radio: https://bit.ly/3PF3jvP

What it Really Takes to Solve Homelessness 🏡

These cities and counties have proven it’s possible to close the gap to zero — but only if they change the way they understand the problem, work, and target their resources. By harnessing data and collaboration, communities are proving it is possible to build systems that can reduce and continuously solve homelessness. #HomelessnessIsSolvable Learn more: https://bit.ly/49HqKxb

Counting homeless people once a year isn’t cutting it. Adam Ruege breaks down why real-time data—not outdated PIT counts—is the key to ending homelessness: https://lnkd.in/eiUCi8Qy

🛑 Homelessness is a life-threatening crisis — and it doesn't affect everyone equally. In the U.S., Native and Black Americans are disproportionately impacted, and this overrepresentation is no accident. From slavery and violent land theft to housing discrimination, systemic racism has created and sustained inequities that drive homelessness today. Historic and ongoing barriers in housing, employment, health care, and more mean Black and Native Americans face higher risks of homelessness, even beyond the effects of poverty alone. To solve homelessness, we must confront these systemic inequities head-on. #HomelessnessIsSolvable Learn more: https://bit.ly/4e7yz08

Built for Zero uses functional zero to measure whether a community has measurably solved homelessness for a population. We use functional zero because communities need a definition for solving homelessness that is clear, measurable, and can be tracked over time. We cannot compromise on the rigor of a definition for ending homelessness, because lives, communities, and the equity of our society is at stake. Learn more about functional zero: https://bit.ly/3RwO6yC