Homelessness is a complex, life-threatening problem. It can be solved — but only if systems are designed to continually reduce and end it.

Homelessness is a mirror of the flaws in our system. / Created by the National Racial Equity Working Group/ Design by Eido

By every meaningful measure, homelessness is more expensive to ignore than to solve. Today, an estimated 770,000 people are experiencing homelessness on any given night. Homelessness disproportionately impacts Black and Native Americans and for our most vulnerable neighbors, it is a matter of life and death — people experiencing homelessness die 17 years earlier than those who are housed.

People who suffer from long-term homelessness are also more likely to be ensnared within the criminal justice system and use emergency health services, which can add up to an average of $35,000 a year.

Communities are proving it does not have to be this way

Homelessness is a result of vulnerable populations colliding with broken systems. Cities and counties are demonstrating that these systems can be fixed, and homelessness can be solved.

Communities across the country have achieved a milestone for ending homelessness known as functional zero — simply put, this goal is to equip local support systems to always have a place for everyone at risk. Imagine a bucket with a drain spout on the bottom. Water from a faucet fills the bucket and the drain allows the water to flow out. If the water enters too fast without draining quickly enough, the bucket overflows. If too much drains out too fast, the bucket runs empty. The goal is to keep a steady level—not too full, not too empty. That’s the same concept as functional zero — its a milestone that means that fewer people are experiencing homelessness than are exiting homelessness at any given time.

When communities work together, they can manage the flow of individuals and families needing housing at any time because they have adequate pathways to housing and support. Right now, fifteen communities around the country have achieved functional zero for at least one group of people. Thirty-nine communities working with our Built for Zero model have made a measurable reduction which means their work is actually ensuring fewer people experience homelessness.

Communities are shifting from responding to homelessness to ending it. That is a story of hope and promise.

And while homelessness disproportionately and deeply damages the health of our cities and its citizens, we must remember that less than 1% of any city’s population is experiencing homelessness at any time. This work is about coming together to take care of our friends and neighbors most in need.

That’s what these cities and counties are proving — it’s possible to close the gap to zero and leave no one behind. However, we must look at the problem differently. We must help teams work together to share responsibility and resources. By harnessing data and collaboration, communities are proving it is possible to build systems that can reduce and continuously end homelessness.

Beth Sandor describes why solving complex social problems require systems designed to move as fast as the problem

We need systems built to end end homelessness, not just manage it.

In many cases, communities are set up to manage homelessness, but not to end it for everyone who is experiencing it. Communities are proving that they can only end homelessness if they have systems and investments are realigned around getting to zero.

This fundamental shift begins with five changes:

Who is at the table

Instead of operating in silos, everyone who touches the problem — providers, nonprofits, and agencies — needs to work together to get to zero.

How those leaders define success

Success must be defined by whether the overall number of people experiencing homelessness is going down, not by whether individual programs are succeeding.