News isn't all bad for homeless families

From AHF's Donna Kimura today:

More than 500 people have gathered in Oakland, Calif., for the National Conference on Ending Family Homelessness.

“All of us are thirsty to find new ideas and support,” said Nan Roman, president and CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the conference sponsor.

The big crowd, she said, was there to discuss strategies and share models for eliminating family homelessness.

While the challenges are great, there’s some good news on the homelessness front. Speakers pointed out that the McKinney-Vento homeless assistance program has enjoyed increased funding in recent years when other federal programs have been cut. In the last appropriations bill, Congress also called for research on family homelessness.

Still, not all the news is good. The conference was being held in the wake of the murder of one homeless man and the beatings of two others in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. A videotape of one of the beatings made the news.

Catching up with Roman at the conference, she pointed out that violence against the homeless isn’t uncommon.

The solution, she said, is for them to have housing.