Plans to End Homelessness

Ten Year Plans to End Homelessness

The Ten Year Plan is a planning framework that is widely used in different sectors (environment, health care etc.), is used by industry and government as a strategic planning practice with clear targets and measurable outcomes.  The Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness model was pioneered in the United States, first by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, when they released "A Plan, Not a Dream: How to End Homelessness in Ten Years" in 2000.  This document, which drew heavily on emerging evidence regarding how to effectively reduce and end homelessness, was meant to inspire communities across the country to change their focus from ‘managing’ homelessness to ‘ending’ it through strategic shift towards prevention and rehousing. Part of this strategy has been the promotion of the Housing First approach, which identifies the importance of moving people into some form of housing, regardless of the challenges they are facing. The newest plan shifts the focus of ending homelessness to recognize the role of prevention and a retooling of the emergency sector to support that objective and to move people out of homelessness as quickly as possible.  The Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness strategy was eventually adopted in over 300 communities in the US.  In 2010, the Ten Year Plan approach has become official government policy, with the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness releasing Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness 2010.

Based on the success of American Ten Year Plans to End Homelessness, many Canadian communities began to adapt the approach to their own contexts.  In particular, communities in Alberta have adopted this approach, beginning with Calgary.  Eventually the Province of Alberta followed suit, as did other communities across the country.  Finally, the newly formed Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness released a national strategy in 2012 titled, A Plan Not a Dream: How to End Homelessness in 10 Years.

A Plan, Not a Dream: How to End Homelessness in 10 Years - See more at: http://hh.yoopath.com/resource/plan-not-dream-how-end-homelessness-10-years-canada#sthash.7ERFjZWp.dpuf
A Plan, Not a Dream: How to End Homelessness in 10 Years - See more at: http://hh.yoopath.com/resource/plan-not-dream-how-end-homelessness-10-years-canada#sthash.7ERFjZWp.dpuf

Ten Year Plans in Canada: