Our Approach

As a City we’ve been trapped, for decades now, in the “quick fix” or “putting up the numbers” mentality. Nothing really happens to break generational patterns of homelessness and little changes for families and individuals to realize their potential to contribute fully to their communities.

Yes, it’s certainly a short-sighted approach. And most efforts have failed because:
(1) the many interwoven and preventable factors that put people at risk of homelessness have been virtually disregarded and (2) there’s been little willingness to test approaches that can prove effective in the long-term.

The Partnership’s primary objective then is to amass solid, field-tested evidence about what works and why. 

• Our goal is to prevent and end urban homelessness by developing replicable evidence-based programs using rigorous research to investigate how both personal circumstances and systemic barriers interact to cause homelessness.
• Our programs are organized as centers for learning that can help create proactive measures, rather than reactive responses to housing crises.
• Our advocacy efforts start with what we know works and how the models of practice we develop can be replicated in New York City and beyond.

Through this approach then, our goal is to identify the best practices for helping people to stay stably housed, then advocate for these practices to become the basis for policy decisions. We realize that a crucial part of helping people is to change how things happen.  So while we help our clients advance their individual paths to greater housing stability, we can also advance the understanding of how to prevent housing instability in the first place. It’s a win-win proposition – and one we’re excited to be carrying forward.

Direct assistance. Research. Advocacy. These are the tools that the Partnership for the Homeless is using to create lasting change in the lives of New Yorkers at risk for homelessness.  

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