2019 Rebuilding for Learning Summit

According to HUD's Annual Point In Time Count on a single night in January 2018 there were 17 individuals out of every 10,000 experiencing homelessness in the US. With the application of new strategies and funding sources the trend from 2010 through 2016 showed this population decreasing. But 2017 and 2018 saw the population increasing again. Programs and funding are not enough to solve the problem on their own. Communities successful at significantly reducing or ending homelessness understood that the solution lies not just in handing out rental subsidies and services to fulfill basic needs but in the provision of safe space for individuals and families to begin a journey of recovery and healing. This cannot be accomplished with "silo-ed" agencies and programs. It requires full community engagement and planning for maximum impact. La Crosse has been at the forefront in Wisconsin in recognizing this and for the past three years has had tremendous success in forming a radical collaboration of community partners that includes service organizations, funders, city and county government, police, school and faith organizations, and individual citizens. There's been a lot of progress but we still have a ways to go. Let's talk about how to push that radical collaboration to the next level!