Success in the City of Brotherly Love / The city that knows how - Philly Philadelphia / Effort stems tide of homelessness -- can S.F. learn from it?

Efforts from the local Housing, Health and Human Services Center helped make Bergen the first — and one of the few — U.S. cities that have reached functional zero for chronic homelessness. Through providing counseling services and helping those in need access care and other resources like employment, the Center has helped several people secure housing, nearly eliminating long-term homelessness for veterans and those struggling with conditions like addiction and other mental illnesses.

Homelessness is a serious issue in any state, but outlined in this article are 3 unique approaches in 3 different states that have proven successful. Albuquerque, New Mexico, Orlando, Florida, and Detroit, Michigan have all figured out effective plans to get people off the streets. Solutions range from actually giving homeless people permanent housing to designing a 90 day action plan with them to get them back on their feet to offering a quick and easy way to make some money for food or a night at a hotel.

Homelessness is still a rampant problem in the United States. The 100,000 Homes Campaign, an initiative launched four years ago, aims to help communities around the country place 100,000 chronically homeless people into permanent supportive housing

In San Francisco, 23 percent of homeless people return to the street after transitional housing programs. A New York program gives the mentally ill and homeless individual apartments alongside average New Yorkers and has had an 84 percent retention rate.

Homelessness is on the rise in the UK, and for many "rough sleepers," finding sustainable support can be nearly impossible. But a number of charities, including Crisis, St. Mungo'ss, and Centrepoint are starting to take a more comprehensive approach to the problem by addressing mental health issues and their significant impact on prolonged homelessness. Now the charities focus on "a psychologically-informed approach."

Formerly a motel, Karluk Manor is Alaska’s original Housing First facility, a new approach to solving homelessness that focuses first and foremost on providing housing to people in need, and then later addressing problems such as health concerns and economic dependence.

Dallas has emerged as a national model for addressing homelessness with its systematic approach combining strict enforcement of anti-camping laws with comprehensive support services and permanent housing placement. The city works with over 150 partners, including police, shelters, and housing providers through its Continuum of Care program to patrol downtown, direct people to shelters, and transition them to permanent housing with wraparound services. They’ve moved more than 270 people off the streets and declared an end to downtown homelessness in May 2025.

In response to managing the homeless crisis, several Safe Rest Villages have emerged throughout the city. These are small, individual units on city-owned land, separate from nearby neighborhoods. There are currently seven active Safe Rest Villages in the city and they have created 350 transitional housing opportunities for the local homeless population.

Community First! Village is a 51-acre tiny home and RV village that serves as home for 350 formerly unhoused people, providing both shelter and a sense of community and connection. The Village offers a community garden, fishing pond, game room, ceramics studio and even an outdoor movie theater. Community First! Village’s success has even been inspiring California leaders to replicate the effort in areas of the state with high rates of homelessness.

Organizations like the Gary Leif Navigation Center are providing housing services and support to those in need. The Gary Leif Navigation Center opened in the summer of 2022 and is a low-barrier shelter that provides 10 pods for individuals to sleep and store their belongings in. Due to increased need, plans are currently underway to expand the Center, adding an additional 30 beds.