Public Policy & Advocacy
We must have sound public policies in place at all levels of government in order to create the type of systemic change needed to truly end homelessness.
At Destination: Home, our public policy and advocacy efforts are focused on advancing real solutions that address the root causes of our crisis and ensure that our most vulnerable residents have a stable home. We engage in all stages of the policy process – from research and policy development to coalition-building and advocacy. And our unique public-private partnership allows us to bring stakeholders and decision-makers together to not only develop smart and impactful policies but also ensure that these proposals are ultimately adopted into law.
Our Guiding Principles in Public Policy
All of our policy work is centered on advancing our key strategies for ending homelessness, and is guided by the following principles:
At its core, homelessness is a housing issue and it demands a housing-centered response.
We cannot end homelessness without preventing it in the first place and that means intervening early with targeted support for those most at risk.
People with lived experience of homelessness bring essential knowledge and leadership that must shape the solutions to end homelessness.
Punishing people for being homeless is ineffective, unjust, and drains resources away from real solutions like housing and services.
Solving homelessness requires coordinated action across all levels of government, sectors, and communities.
We will not see progress on homelessness until we invest in proven solutions at a scale that reflects the depth and urgency of the crisis.
Find our full guiding principles in the PDF below:
Learn more about how we’re advancing Affordable Housing Policies that are helping accelerate the development of more ELI and Supportive Housing.
We launched the Homelessness Prevention System in 2017 to stop the cycle of homelessness before it begins and tackle this crisis proactively. The program has since been adopted by our County as its leading prevention strategy. Learn more.
Our community is seeing increasing calls for punitive approaches to homelessness. See how we’re addressing criminalization and helping advance compassionate and effective solutions instead.