Creative solutions for global cities addressing their urgent homeless crises.

This book takes on perhaps the most formidable issue facing metropolitan areas today: the large numbers of people experiencing homelessness within cities. Four dedicated experts with first-hand experience profile ten cities—Bogota, Mexico City, Los Angeles, Houston, Nashville, New York City, Baltimore, Edmonton, Paris, and Athens—to explore ideas, strategies, successes, and failures. Together they bring an array of government, nonprofit, and academic perspectives to offer a truly global perspective. The authors answer essential questions about the nature and causes of homelessness and analyze how cities have used innovation and local political coordination to address this pervasive problem.

Ten Global Cities will be an invaluable resource not only for students of policy and social work but for municipal, regional, and national policymakers; nonprofit service providers; community advocates and activists; and all citizens who want to collaborate for real change. These authors argue that homelessness is not an insurmountable social condition, and their examples show that cities and individuals working in coordination can lead the charge for better outcomes.

About the Author

Linda Gibbs is Principal for Social Services at Bloomberg Associates and is a Senior Fellow at Results for America. She served in the New York City government as the Commissioner overseeing homelessness until 2005 and then as Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services until 2013.

Jay Bainbridge is Associate Professor of Public Administration at Marist College. He worked in New York City government on its first homeless street count and continues to consult on homeless services for national and international cities.

Muzzy Rosenblatt is Chief Executive Officer and President of Bowery Residents’ Committee (BRC), a nonprofit organization committed to bringing stability and dignity to nearly 10,000 homeless and at-risk individuals each year in New York City.

Tamiru Mammo is a consultant manager of Social Services at Bloomberg Associates, where he has led homeless reform efforts in US and international cities. Previously, he worked as a health advisor in New York City’s Mayor’s Office and as Chief of Staff to the President of NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation.

Preface
Acknowledgments

Introduction: Can Cities Solve Global Homelessness?
1. The Transformation of Homeless Services
2. Engaging People on the Streets
3. Sheltering Options That Work
4. Developing an Affordable Housing Strategy
5. Supportive Housing to Target Complex Needs
6. Prevention That Works
7. Systems-Level Thinking
8. Engaging the Community
9. Understanding the Homeless System: Street Counts, By-Name Lists, Agency Databases, and Basic Research
10. Managing for Results: Performance Management and Modeling
11. Managing in Emergencies
Conclusion: Lessons for Other Cities—It Can Be Done

Appendix
Notes
References
Index

Reviews

"The book is a valuable resource for those interested in how cities have succeeded in tackling some of the causes and consequences of homelessness. . . . It offers a refreshing hands-on contribution that not only identifies the problems around homelessness but, crucially, provides specific examples and evidence from many different settings about what can be done to overcome it."
— LSE Review of Books

"Its real-world examples provide digestible and valuable information to the public—especially to advocates who are beginning a vocation in the field. . . . The book demonstrates that, thanks to the passion and determination of homeless-service system actors, innovative approaches in outreach and housing-first models have emerged and been successful."
— Stanford Social Innovation Review

“Homelessness is an international crisis, and city leaders are on the front lines of it. Real progress is possible ––the authors helped us prove that in New York – and this important new book shares their hard-earned insights and invaluable experience, which can benefit cities around the world.” –– Michael Bloomberg

“Our story is one of capturing the passions of every Parisian to tackle homelessness. This book shows how the heart can combine with evidence and accountability to solve this human tragedy.” –– Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris

“Houston’s success in tackling homelessness has been through strategic partnerships working towards a common goal of permanent supportive housing. The stories here make clear that without commitment and collaboration, there is no solution to homelessness.” –– Sylvester Turner, Mayor of Houston

"Clear, comprehensive, and useful. This book mixes scholarly insights with practical knowledge."—Robert Doar, President, American Enterprise Institute

"This book provides a comprehensive, well-documented approach to one of the world's most significant problems from experts with broad experience."—Stephen Goldsmith, Harvard University

About the Book

About the Author

Table of Contents

Reviews