At Miriam’s Kitchen, we know that ending veteran and chronic homelessness is possible, and we are always eager to connect with teams who share our belief. Such teams include Community Solutions, an organization that is working toward a future where homelessness is never inevitable or a way of life. One of the ways they work toward that is their ‘Built for Zero’ movement. We spoke with Kally Canfield of Community Solutions to learn more about the initiative.
1. What is the ‘Built for Zero’ movement, and what are its long-term goals?
Built for Zero is a movement of over 90 communities working to measurably end homelessness, one neighborhood at a time. Led by the nonprofit Community Solutions, Built for Zero is a methodology, a movement, and proof of what is possible. Communities in Built for Zero embrace a data-driven strategy to reach functional zero, a state where local systems are actively reducing and ending homelessness, so it remains rare and brief for a population.
2.What does it mean to achieve ‘functional zero’ as part of the Built for Zero movement?
Functional zero is a milestone that communities work toward to demonstrate they have measurably and equitably solved homelessness. Communities achieve and sustain functional zero for one neighborhood at a time, working towards an end to homelessness for all.
By reaching functional zero for veteran homelessness, a community has proven that it has fewer veterans experiencing homelessness than it can routinely house in permanent housing during a single month. For example, if our community is housing thirty veterans a month on average, we must only have 30 veterans or fewer experiencing homelessness at all times.
Reaching functional zero doesn’t mean that no one will ever experience homelessness again. It means that systems are in place to continuously ensure that any experience of homelessness is brief and permanently resolved, and rare overall.
3. Can you talk a little bit about your work in ending homelessness in Washington, D.C.?
Our work has been primarily around setting reduction aims and determining what needs to be true to make the goal of reaching functional zero a reality. We identify and test new strategies, primarily with the veteran system and team as we know that ending and preventing homelessness is especially challenging in large cities with high rental markets and complexities.
While the work being done in DC with Built for Zero is focused on reaching functional zero for veterans and other demographics (like unaccompanied youth and single adults/non-Veterans) are adopting some of the test ideas and improvements that we have found to be successful on the Veteran side.
I can’t speak higher of the team here locally working to solve for this and reach functional zero. They have an incredibly effective model and are able to identify gaps and needs in the system quickly. It’s a collaboration between BFZ and key District partners, like The Community Partnership, the DC Interagency Council on Homelessness, the local VA Medical Center, The Department of Human Services, and other local nonprofits serving veterans. We develop project plans and test new solutions through workgroups, committees, and task forces and use data to help us better meet our goals.
4. What does our country’s progress around ending veteran homelessness say about the solvability of homelessness?
Many U.S. cities have made immense progress in reducing veteran homelessness. They have demonstrated what is possible when there is a will to work together to get to zero. This progress also tells us that we can’t stop and that we must keep going to finish the job of ending veteran homelessness and ending homelessness for all.
5. From my research, I found that 12 Built for Zero Communities have ended veteran homelessness across the country – what are the main factors that have led to this success?
Communities in Built for Zero are making great progress – 12 have ended veteran homelessness. We’ve seen that communities making progress in reaching and sustaining functional zero have systems in place with four key features:
- An integrated, core team. To harness the collective power of an entire community, key actors like nonprofit organizations, the Continuum of Care, the housing authority, local government, and the VA to come together around a shared aim.
- A shared aim. Built for Zero communities establish a shared aim to reach functional zero for one or more populations on the way to ending homelessness for all. They measure success toward this goal by whether they are driving population-level reductions in homelessness, rather than program-level outcomes. By reaching functional zero, communities can demonstrate that coordinated, data-driven systems are in place to continuously keep homelessness rare and brief.
- Comprehensive, real-time, by-name data. Built for Zero communities know everyone experiencing homelessness by name, in real-time. As modeled in public health, communities can also track the dynamics of homelessness at a granular level, understanding inflow, outflow, and whether efforts are driving reductions in homelessness.
- Strategic, data-driven housing investments. Built for Zero communities use real-time data to help secure housing resources and target them for the greatest possible needs.
6. How can people work to support reaching functional zero in their own communities?
Communities are proving that we can break away from the status quo and deliver on a promise of a home for all. This work is not easy. Achieving and sustaining this new normal requires new systems, different decisions, and the full force of a community demanding it.
Everyone can support our collective work by promoting a new understanding of homelessness and three main narrative shifts. First, this crisis is not one of personal, moral failings, but of failed systems. Also, ending homelessness is a matter of racial equity and justice. And lastly, that homelessness is solvable, and our communities are proving that every day.
For specific ways to help promote this new understanding of homelessness, engage with your local elected officials and support the local communities in Built for Zero, visit this page.
