DuPagePads Attends 2018 National Alliance to End Homelessness Conference
Recently, DuPagePads President & CEO Carol Simler, Board Chair Emeritus Jane Doyle and 2,000 homeless service providers and leaders gathered in Washington, D.C. for the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) Conference. This annual conference allows thought leaders in solving homelessness to convene to share their best ideas and address the toughest questions about ending homelessness.
Over the course of three days, conference attendees heard keynote speeches from NAEH President & CEO Nan Roman; Senator Kamala Harris and Senator Cory Booker. The conference offered sessions and workshops on relevant topics including Rapid Re-Housing, Ending Homelessness through Employment, Housing is Health Care and more.
Key Takeaways
Steve Berg, Vice President for Programs and Policy for the NAEH, shared his key takeaways in a blog post:
“People working to end homelessness are clearer than ever about what it will take. To permanently end homelessness, there are two things that need to be in place, and those were spelled out in detail:
- One is a crisis response system so that when anyone loses their housing and becomes homeless, they will be found, kept safe, and quickly helped move back into housing. This includes: low-barrier, housing-focused shelters; strategies to address unsheltered homelessness; rapid re-housing strategies; diversion interventions that help keep people from entering shelter; supportive housing and more.
- Making larger reforms so that more people can afford and access housing. This was a big part of the keynotes from Senators Kamala Harris and Cory Booker. And we all know this is true: as long as people keep losing their housing due to high rents, low incomes, evictions, discrimination, and other factors, our work will not be done.”
Carol Simler shared her thoughts on this year’s conference:
“Each year, I look forward to going to Washington DC to hear the latest strategies and successful approaches advocates of the homeless have experienced. I knew from Nan Roman’s opening address, stating that we ‘have a mutual responsibility to take care of one another,’ that this would be another dynamic conference!
We learned about the release of the new Federal Strategic Plan to end & prevent homelessness, which confirmed my support for Home Together to Matthew Doherty, Exec. Dir. U.S. Inter Agency Council on Homelessness.
We were invigorated and moved by US Senator Cory Booker’s closing plenary in which he said, ‘We need to sound the alarm, we need to decide to be the change – End Homelessness…We belong to each other. Let us mutually pledge ourselves to each other…If it is to be, it is up to me!’ Ending homelessness is solvable!”
Jane Doyle also shared her response to the conference:
“I say this with affection and conviction: The STORM is coming to DuPage County, and DuPagePads is leaning forward in making sure homelessness is ‘Rare, Brief’ and a ‘One-Time Occurrence’. We WILL end homelessness once and for all through courage, faith, hope, systems and processes. Join us!! Find DuPagePads. Help us make this happen!!”