Radical Redesign of Homelessness Services
The current system for addressing homelessness in the US is broken, with cities spending more on services each year yet seeing an increase in homelessness and growing public frustration.
The issue may be that the system is trying to solve too many problems at once, without effectively addressing any of them.
A New Approach
A radical redesign of the system could be the solution, focusing on outcomes rather than just providing services.
This approach is informed by the work of the Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab (GPL) with state and city leaders across the US.
Reimagining the System
There are precedents from communities across the country that show what it takes to reimagine a complex system and effectively serve people with severe mental illness living on the street.
What if we’re trying to solve too many problems at once with a system built to solve none of them well?
Author's summary: Redesigning homelessness services around outcomes could be the key to solving the issue.
- Local governments, nonprofits, and philanthropists can work together to change the system.
- Focusing on outcomes rather than just providing services can lead to more effective solutions.