On January 11th, 2023 the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness held an introductory seminar to discuss President Biden’s All In federal plan to prevent and end homelessness. All In is a roadmap for federal action to ensure that state and local agencies have resources and the ability to help end homelessness once and for all. The program is the first federal plan that focuses on upstream solutions and aims to reduce homelessness by 25% by 2025.
Marcy Thompson (Director of Policy Initiatives) discussed the current state of homelessness in the United States and highlighted that children who experience homelessness are more likely to experience serious health conditions like hepatitis, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS as well as an increased risk to violence and abuse. During the 2019-2020 school year, 1.28 million children enrolled in K-12 schools experienced some form of homelessness. Thompson also discussed the racial disparity found in those experiencing homelessness stating that Black Americans are represented at a rate of 3 to 1, Indigenous People and Alaskan Natives at 5 to 1, and Hispanic or Latinx Americans also experience disproportionate representation.
Erika Jones-Haskins (Policy Director) discussed the strategies the All In program is using in the form of foundational pillars focusing on equity, data and evidence, and collaboration as well as solution-based pillars of prevention, crisis response, and housing and supports as a blueprint for achieving its goals. The plan aims to provide increased support and increase the evaluation process in programs that already exist in the Housing First model like rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing, and coordinated entry systems.
Katie Jennings (Policy Director) discussed the All In program plans and strategies for implementation of the key pillars. This implementation will also act as a guideline for local and systems-level plans for communities and organizations to potentially use. In addition, an annual performance management plan will be published to discuss lessons learned and any plan or program changes.
By Chris Bennett, Policy Intern
