In mid-march, 26 leaders in the areas of research, policy and practice from Australia, Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States assembled to create an International Alliance to End Homelessness. Addressing homelessness is now a key policy priority across much of the developed world. All levels of government, individual communities, and nongovernmental organizations across many countries have mobilized themselves around a common motivation to end homelessness. Never before has the issue been more resonant. As nations, states, and localities make cuts to balance their budgets, social safety nets are bearing much of the blow -- at just the time when more individuals and families are relying on these services for their most basic needs. As services diminish, the likelihood that financially vulnerable people experience homelessness rises and an already persistent social problem continues to escalate during this economically precarious time. With this in mind, participants set about to establish a framework in which to move forward toward the common goal of preventing and ending homelessness.